Eren of Maria, Annie of Sina
by Freelance7
Summary: Eren Jaeger had no hope of becoming a successful knight in the province of Shiganshima. It wasn't until he was confronted by a young warrior named Annie Leonhart that his hope came closer to becoming a reality. However, what he learns could change his life in more ways than he could think. M for Violence, Blood And Gore, Language, and maybe some Sexual Themes.
1. Footing

Before we start, I guess I have a few things to throw at your face.

First, I am a huge EreAnnie fan, which I guess is weird coming from a dude...probably not.

Second, this is the second ever fanfic for something (the first was Resident Evil...that was shit), so give me a shot.

Third, there probably isn't going to be any overly sexual shit...jus' sayin' (but there might be).

Fourth...ehhh, I dunno, I might think of something, anyway, ON WITH THE STORY!

**Chapter 1: Footing**

"Come on, Jaeger, I have seen cattle that fight better than you!"

"You have not-eugh!"

Eren was surprised. He had hit the ground how many times? And still, his shoulder is located in the same area. This time, however, he slid on his side at least twenty feet across the dirt, his longsword going farther. If he wasn't wearing the iron armor that protected his vital organs and kept his limbs from being chopped off, he would've had something much worse than a huge bruise on his right shoulder.

As Eren rolled onto his back, the tiny rocks that were hidden in the dirt poked and prodded at only his bruises and cuts, like as if they were only there to make his training a living hell. These were the times where he hated his training. _Maybe I shouldn't have decided to be a knight_, he thought, lifting his head up to see a gleaming longsword pointed at his face. A short man held it in front of him, his sharp grey eyes looking down on Eren condescendingly through the slits of his helmet.

"Your footing is shit." He stated, his voice deep, unimpressed, but calm..

"You could've just told me." Eren panted, the armor heated up and dehydrating him. He reached up with both hands, pulling the rusty great helmet off, his wet and sweaty brown hair clinging to his skin, making no effort to give in to gravity. He threw the helmet off to the side and took a breath of air.

"You never learn when I tell you." His teacher remarked, stabbing his sword into the dirt between Eren's legs.

Eren pushed himself back from the blade, gasping as the sharp edge looked ready to neuter him, "Woah, Levi, I want to keep that!"

"Then start practicing on your own, or you won't have a need for it." Levi muttered, loud enough so that Eren could hear. Pulling off his close helmet, his perfectly groomed black hair fell down both sides of his head, his eyes narrowed at his student. He picked up his sword and sheathed it, "This session is over, go home." As he walked away from the dirt pit, Eren listened as his teacher's shiny beautiful armor clinked and clanked, the noise dying as it got farther away.

Eren laid in the dirt for a few minutes before a shape obscured his vision. It was a girl with black hair tied back into a ponytail, her dark eyes staring down at him with no emotion, a red scarf wrapped around her neck, tickling his nose, her leather armor strangely looking better than his armor. Then again, everything on or about his adopted Asian sister Mikasa is better than him. Her face was a mixture of worry and calm, "Need help?" She asked, her voice not wavering. She didn't sound worried, but Eren knew she was. She was overprotective since they first met when they were nine.

Eren slowly got up, groaning as he did so, "Ahhh, no, no, I got it." He picked up his helmet, holding it under his arm. He limped over to his longsword and bent down, groaning as he did so, picking it up. He turned and headed towards the wooden stands, an area for any who want to see Eren get his ass kicked, Mikasa followed behind him. He reached for his pack on the first stand, searching around it with his hand until he felt the leather of his water skin. He pulled it out, unstopped it, then put it to his lips to hydrate himself. Only a drop fell out and hit his nose. "Shit!" He cursed silently, throwing the water skin back into the pack.

Mikasa pulled out her water skin and held it out to him, but he sighed, pushing it back, "No, Mika, it's fine." He looked at her, "Hey, I am gonna go...do something, see you at home?"

Mikasa took a step forward, "I'll come with."

Eren rolled his eyes, groaning, here she is, doing it again. Always trying to follow him around to protect him. _I can protect myself Mikasa, _he thought to himself, not wanting to say it aloud. He instead opted for a different set of words.

"No, Mika, please, can I just have my time alone?"

Mikasa gave him a look, hesitating, before finally nodding, "Be home before sundown. Don't get in trouble." And with that, she turned around and headed home.

Eren sighed, watching as she walked. He waited until she was out of sight before slinging his pack over his shoulder and turning towards the forest west of Shiganshima, his home. He lived in a big village outside of the walls of the Maria, the main city and name of the province in the kingdom of Mitras. The forest used to be a place where he could play. Now that he is older, he does not have any time for playing. He needed to practice.

As Eren stepped past the tall trees and ducked under low branches, he thought of the times when he and his friends played out here. He remembered that no matter what, he would always play as the knight when they played pretend. He remembered the question, "Why do you always have to be the knight?" And his reply, "Because that is what I am going to be when I grow up!"

His green eyes darted here and there, seeing the markings he set up so that he would not get lost. An X carved into a tree here, a circle etched in dirt there, he remembered everything.

He stopped before a small river that cut itself between him and his destination. He crouched, dropping his helmet and pack onto the ground before taking his pack out of the latter. He dipped it into the water, feeling the cold liquid caress his hand as he filled his water skin. He stopped it with a cork and put it back in his bag. Reaching back in with both hands, he cupped his hands and brought them up to drink.

Eren felt refreshed after taking a few more drinks then washing his face. His hair no longer clung to his skin, but dangled in front of his eyes, water dripping from the fringes. He looked back down at the water, seeing his reflection. After staring into his eyes for a minute, he shook his head and stood up, taking his helmet. He stepped over the river to the other side. He was not far now, he continued on.

Eren finally reached his destination, a cliff overlooking the ocean. Trees were not abundant, but there was one tree that hung over the cliff side, giving a perfect spot to sit down in the shade. He always goes here after each lesson to reflect his mistakes in the battle fought with his teacher. It doesn't help him fighting wise, but it calms him.

He sat down near the edge, dropped his helmet and pack. He pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his elbows so that he can lay his head on his arms, gazing at the waves as they crash into the rocks. He loved the ocean, ever since he was a little kid when he and his friend Armin went out to this spot to watch. Sadly, Armin is busy with his studies, so he can never come out to even talk with him.

His adopted sister was never into this stuff. In fact, he never really knew what she was into. When he first met her, he gave her his scarf, which she held onto for her whole life. Recently their father have been looking for suitors that fit her, and so far, there have been two. Jean, a loud mouthed, horse-faced knight who made it his goal in life to annoy the shit out of Eren since they were children, and Levi, his teacher, a short, silent, emotionless clean freak. Jean makes sense because polar opposites attract, and Levi is almost the exact same as Mikasa.

As for him, Eren never really found that someone, and his father are not bothering to find him any partners either. He doesn't mind, he needs to focus on his knighthood. The problem is that, as his teacher says, he is shit. During the fight before, he constantly kept shuffling awkwardly, and going in to strike at the worst of times. He does need to practice outside of lessons. If only someone that isn't his sister could help. He doesn't want her help. Ever since they met, she made herself a guardian of Eren, as Eren would always get into fights with kids when they were younger. She was overprotective, so he didn't want to fight someone who might hold back.

Eren was about to get up when he heard a rustling in the shrubbery behind him. He slowly drew his sword and stood up. He turned to the forest, his arm outstretched, his long sword pointing towards the source of the noise.

The rustling stopped, Eren tilted his head to the side, wondering what it was. Step after step, he got closer and closer, until he was able to push aside some of the branches.

He didn't get any closer as a hand shot out and grabbed his wrist and pulled him in. He yelped, feeling a blow to his ribs which knocked the air out of him, and so caused him to drop his sword, the blade clanging against the dirt and rock. He felt a foot hook around the back of his leg, and a hand that pushed him in the face, sending him tripping over the foot and flat onto his back. He didn't get a chance to get back up as a knee pinned his chest down.

He coughed as he regained his breath, then looked up at his attacker. The person was wearing a waist length green cloak, so that he could barely see their face. But he could see a bit of blonde hair dangling down towards him. They were wearing lighter shinier steel armor, light enough to move fast in. White cloth bridged the gaps between the pieces of armor that we far enough from each other so that it wouldn't make a lot of noise. Compared to their armor, his was just clunky and big. They also wore white trousers, brown leather knee high riding boots, and brown leather fingerless gloves. What he noticed was two strange pieces of thin rope hanging from a source somewhere behind the chest plate.

He felt a dagger of some kind pressed against his throat. He held his hands up.

"Okay, okay, you win." He managed to choke out.

Under the shadow of the cloak, he swear he could see a hint of a smirk. The figure stood up, removing the knife from his throat. He saw that it was a Bollock dagger in their hand that belonged to a sheath behind the chest plate, the handle sticking out.

He got up, still coughing a bit, he looked at the person. The attacker looked to be even smaller than Levi, which, to him, was surprising. A hand reached up to the hood of the cloak and pulled it down, revealing the young face of a girl.

She had a unique look, her blonde hair tied back into a bun. She pushed back the right fringe of hair over the right side of her face, which didn't do much as the fringe went back into position. A pair of considerably sized, striking blue eyes set themselves on both sides of a rather pronounced curved nose, These eyes had a sullen vibe, like as if she wasn't interested in anything. Pink lips were below the nose, providing a light contrast to her pale complexion. A straight line cut itself between these lips, completing her look of utter boredom. But Eren could sense a hint of interest behind those eyes.

They just stood there, staring at each other, his green into her blue, taking in every detail of each other. She was the one to finally break the silence. Her voice was a flat tone, almost deadpanning.

"...Your footing is shit."

I don't know if this chapter is short or not, I am not a long chapter kind of guy..

So what did you think? I hope to turn this into a story that I can complete. Please if you have any criticism, tell me (make it respectful, please). I need to learn to you.

Also a big thank you to Euregatto for beta-reading this chapter, wouldn't have done well without her! (If it does well.)


	2. Name

AN: Before I roll this one out, I would like to say thank you for supporting the first chapter! I didn't think people would like it but I am glad it turned out well. Hopefully chapter 2 is just as good as chapter 1 for you guys!

**Chapter 2: Name**

"Who are you?" Eren interrogated the strange woman in front of him, who was staring at him with a bored expression on her face. At the moment, he couldn't think of anything else to ask her. Might as well start with the basics.

She didn't reply, she only shifted her weight to her left leg and put her hand on hip. Her blank stare seemed to drill more into his soul now. She lifted a hand up to her hanging fringe and pushed it back again, this time it stayed put.

_Maybe she doesn't trust me, _Eren thought, his eyes looking over her body, now that he got a better chance to look at her.

_That armor...it's not from Maria_, he thought, as upon closer inspection he could see the armor was gilded beautifully, which meant someone must've put a lot of time in it. Maria does not make armor that well crafted. All they want is armor that did it's purpose, as well as make a lot of them.

He tried a different approach, he took a cautious step forward, his hands lifted up a bit to show that he wasn't trying anything funny, "Uh...my name is Eren. Eren Jaeger. As you can see, I am training to be a knight."

The woman lifted an eyebrow, "Not a very good one." She mumbled, barely audible to Eren.

Eren stopped, "What?"

"I said, 'Not a very good one'."

Eren made a hurt face, lowering his arms, "Hey! I'm...I'm decent."

"According to your stance, you are lying." She noted, nodding to his feet.

Eren looked down at his feet, then looked back up, frowning, "You sound like my teacher."

The woman gave the smallest chuckle, one which had no humor behind it, "Sounds like an ass."

"You don't seem to be any different."

The woman laid against a nearby tree, crossing her arms, "Maybe…" She started, her eyes drifting to the side.

Eren cocked an eyebrow, but lowered it and smirked, "That was impressive, by the way, you move really well-"

"For a girl?" Her eyes snapped back to staring at him, her voice making it sound like she has been told that before.

The young knight shook his head, adopting a surprised tone, "N-no, no, I was _not_ going to say that! I just wanted to say that you move really well. I...I didn't realize what happened until I had felt a knife pressed against my throat. It was very...elegant. Swift."

She slowly hung her head down, looking at the grass that surrounded her feet, hiding a tiny blush which she recovered from quickly. It was then that something crossed her mind. Her head snapped back up, "You want to learn?"

Eren's eyebrows went up, "What?"

She softly sighed, pushing her fringe back again, a bit annoyed, as she took a few steps towards the man, "Do you want to learn? I can teach you, probably better than your teacher."

He narrowed his eyes, "How? He is the best in the land."

"He is the _recorded_ best in the land. And just because he is the best, doesn't make him a good teacher."

Eren chuckled at that, "Then yeah, of course, why wouldn't I want to learn from someone like you?."

The girl gestured to his longsword, "Get your sword, I will teach you the correct stance."

As Eren walked past her to pick up his sword, she gave a small smile and blush so that he wouldn't see. She turned around to face the young knight, sword in hand, her smile and blush already nonexistent.

"This is a very important lesson, so until you get it down perfectly, we won't move on, understand?" She asked, looking at him with her bored eyes.

"Uh, yeah...yeah, of course."

"Good." She simply said, before bending her legs as if she was sitting down, "This is called the horse stance, it keeps you balanced and grounded. Try it."

Eren blinked before nodding and bending his legs to copy her. She stood up and walked over, examining his stance while circling him, "Is it good?" He asked.

She stopped in front of him, her uninterested eyes looking him over. She dropped down to the ground on her left knee and swept her right leg under Eren, tripping him easily and dropping him on his rear. She stood up, looking down at him, she held a hand out to him, "No. Get back up."

Eren shook his head, "I got it." He said, pushing himself up, "Thank you tho-_what the fuck!_"

He suddenly found himself on his ass again. The young man looked up at the girl with a bewildered expression, her leg raised, signifying that she kicked him down.

She held her hand out again, "It's considered disrespectful to deny being helped up."

Eren frowned at her, then sighed, he took her hand, and with their combined strength, he was back on his feet. When he was this close to her, he could catch a whiff of her smell. She smelled...natural...like the forest they were in.

The girl gestured to his legs, "Do it again, but this time, bend your legs more, keep your feet shoulder length apart and more grounded, straighten your back, shift your weight so that both legs are equally balanced. Also, hold your sword out as if you are facing an enemy."

Eren nodded and did what she said. She walked behind him and tried kicking his feet. Luckily he was able to keep his footing, she nodded to herself, "Good...good. Stay like that, don't move."

He stood there in the stance, trying not to move a single muscle. She took a step back, leaning against a tree with her arms crossed, watching him, waiting.

Eventually, his arms started to burn from holding the sword out. His legs joined in not too long after. Then they started shaking, but Eren kept it up, his face masking the struggle. He glanced over to the girl, he could swear a smirk flashed across her face.

She pushed herself from the tree and patted him on the shoulder, "You may stop."

Eren heard her but he didn't stop, he kept struggling, his limbs shaking faster, his face turning red. The girl looked at him with interest. _He is still going, _she thought to herself, _haven't seen this before_.

Finally she heard a loud groan and saw his knees buckle beneath him. The sword fell to the ground, smacking it with a _twang_. He collapsed, slamming on his back, breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling, "Oh, lord!" He gasped.

The girl stood next to him, looking down at the young knight, obscuring his vision of the trees and sky. Her face showed complete boredom, but he could tell she was amused by his struggle, "I have to say, that was impressive. I have never seen anyone show that much determination to strain themselves. Now don't be surprised if your legs feel 'special'."

Eren panted, raising an eyebrow at her, "What do you mean?"

She held out her hand. He reached up and took it, being pulled onto his feet. Instantly his legs began to shake slightly, "Oh...that's what you mean."

The girl nodded, "You may have some trouble walking home, but you'll be fine." She said, walking over to his helmet and pack by the cliffedge, picking them up and walking back to Eren. She placed the helmet on his head and handed him the pack. She looked over to his sword and hooked her foot underneath it. Lifting her leg quickly, she grabbed the sword by the handle, and pushed it into his sheath for him, "Meet me here, same time tomorrow. This lesson is over, go home."

Eren looked at her through the slits of his great helm, "Uh, yeah...yeah, thanks."

She held a delicate looking hand up, "It's my pleasure." She said simply, her face giving away no emotion. She turned around and began walking back to the masses of trees.

The young knight nodded, looking down at his pack, "Okay, well...until tomorrow, uh…"

"...Annie…"

Eren looked up, "What?" She stopped and looked over her shoulder at him.

"Annie. My name is Annie Leonhardt. See you tomorrow, Eren Jaeger."

And with that, she pulled her hood over her head and ran farther into the forest. He watched her run off until she vanished behind the overgrowth.

"Annie Leonhardt…" He repeated, "Nice name."

He turned around and began walking on shaking legs towards his home, only just noticing that it was almost sundown.

Mikasa sat on the steps of their father's house not too far from town, which served also as an apothecary, as her and Eren's father was a doctor who was always away checking up on patients. Luckily, he taught her how to work with herbs so that she can run the business while he is away.

She was waiting for her brother, wearing a tan dress, her red scarf wrapped around her neck, staring at the cobblestone road beneath her brown flats, barely lit by the flickering torches. What did she tell him? Be home before sundown. She looked up at the sky. It was pitch black. _Where could he possibly be?_ She thought.

She has waited long enough. She stood up, lifting her dress so that she can step onto the road without tripping. She began walking to town when the noise of rusty armor shuffling reached her ears. She took a few steps back towards the house, reaching for the torch, she pulled it off of it's sconce. Holding it out, the noise got closer and closer until finally a rusty knight with a great helm walking into visibility, a pack slung over his shoulder and a longsword strapped to his waist. His legs were shaking slightly.

"Hey Mika." It said simply.

"Eren, where were you?"

He stumbled past her, going up the stairs one step at a time, he opened the door and walked in, dropping his pack and taking off his helmet, revealing his heated up head to the cool air.

"I was in the forest, just resting."

"Why are your legs shaking?"

"My legs are shaking?" He looked down, "Oh, so they are." He said, pretending to not know why.

"I was worried."

"I know, Mika, sorry." He said, placing his helmet on the table, he began taking off his armor and arming doublet, showing that he was wearing a green shirt with string tassels at the collar and brown trousers. Taking off his greaves and sabatons revealed his brown leather boots underneath, which he took off so that he could rub his feet, "I need to put something in those boots to make it more comfortable.

Mikasa put the torch back in the sconce and walked inside, closing the door behind her, she glanced around at the shelves with jars, each with a different herb or substance in it. She looked at the back of her brother, who looked over his shoulder at her, seeing the hint of worry behind her face. Spotting this, his expression changed to a more apologetic face and he got up, walked over to her, and wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey, I know you worry for me, and I appreciate it, I do. But I am not ten anymore, I am not getting into fights with other kids anymore. I'm eighteen. I can take care of myself now."

He could hear her sigh, "I know, Eren. Listen, I will try to lay it off a little, but…but no promises."

"Thanks, Mika."

He let go of her and walked back to the table, "So uh, anyone come by while I was gone?"

Mikasa crossed her arms and tapped her chin, "Well, Connie and Sasha came by. Connie fell off a horse and hit his head on a rock...again. Historia came to ask if I saw Ymir, I swear that girl is always getting herself into trouble. And...Jean visited."

Eren fell silent, he looked at her to see her pulling her scarf up to her nose, "And?"

"And...we talked, he gave me a gift."

Eren raised an eyebrow in question, looking around for the gift, when he noticed it was on the table in front of him. A dozen roses in a glass vase. He snorted, "How romantic..."

"Why don't you try getting along with him, Eren?"

"I do try...he is just too much of an ass to take it seriously."

"He is a kind man, Eren."

"He is a horse-faced bastard."

"Forget it...anyway, I made soup." She said, walking into the kitchen, she brought out a bowl and set it in front of him with a piece of bread, "I am gonna go to bed." She said, walking to the stairs.

"Okay, Mika, goodnight." He called out. He didn't get a reply back.

Picked up the bread, he pulled a piece off and began nibbling at it. The only thing on his mind was that girl, Annie. He wondered where she lived.

Running past the trees, ducking under low hanging branches, Annie stopped and hid behind one of the many oaks. _I think he lost sight of me, _she thought, putting a hand over her heart, which was beating strangely, _I have never felt this way before_, _nobody has ever praised me for my prowess, or wanted to learn from me_. She shook her head, _no, you won't let that happen again. If he wants to learn, fine, but he will not break the walls I have built over the years._

She took a deep breath and changed her face back to her usual bored stoic expression. She wasn't too far from Stohess. She took one last look around the tree before turning back around and heading home.

AN: Another thing, I have a tumblr, here is the link: 

Again if you guys find any problems with this chapter, please tell me. This story will be a mixture of romance and action with all of the practice scenes. I try to be as accurate as possible.


	3. Late

A/N: Thank you all again for the support you have given me, I highly appreciate it. I know these chapters might be coming out fast, it's mostly because I have practically finished half of the fanfic before I published the first chapter. So there may be a time where things slow down, but I will try to finish the story as quickly as I can, while also trying to keep the same quality in there. Anyway, enjoy!

**Chapter 3: Late**

Annie looked up to the sun, "He's late." She muttered to herself, quickly looking back down, dangling her legs off of the edge of the cliff. A bag laid by her side, filled with items they could use in practice.

She pulled her cowl down and pushed her fringe back behind her ear. Looking down at her breastplate, she took the end of one white hoodie string and pulled on it, trying to pass the time. _He better have a good excuse_, she thought.

A few minutes later, she shook her head, sighing. _Maybe I should just go, I should have known he would not come back. _

She pushed herself back, pulling her legs up so that she can get up on her feet. Reaching down, she picked up the bag and slung it over her shoulder. She turned in the direction of Stohess and was about to take a step when she heard galloping.

Suddenly, a brown horse emerged from the trees and skidded to a halt in front of Annie. Her head tilted to the side with the same bored expression. The strange problem with this horse is that it had a saddle, but no one on it.

Annie could only guess who this horse belonged to. Grabbing it by the reins, she headed towards the direction it came.

Annie led the horse through the foliage, glancing up at it from time to time. She may not like to admit it, but she had an interest in horses. The horse whinnied a bit, she reached up and ran her fingers through it's mane. She leaned her head on it's body as they traveled, listening to the breathing of the magnificent creature.

"Ahhhh..._shiiiiit_..."

A groan snapped Annie out of her trance. She looked around for the source, and saw a rusty silver mass laying in some shrubbery below a low hanging branch. She couldn't help but smirk at the young man's misfortune. She walked over, reins in hand, using her bored tone, "Let me guess. You were in a hurry and rode into a branch, knocking you on your ass."

Eren's head snapped up, his surprised eyes easily visible through the slits of the great helm, "A-Annie?"

"Who else, shitbird?"

"Uhh, right, right, sorry. I am late because I got held up at training, then I tried to get training swords, which are on the horse. When I was walking to the forest, my sister's suitor, Jean, held me up and-"

"Just shut up and get up." Annie deadpanned, but underneath was amused by the young knight. _At least he still wants to learn, despite his wounds from yesterday._

"How about we move training to the morning, and I got a new place for us to practice."

Eren pushed himself up, "Yeah, yeah, sounds fine...what do you mean?"

Annie gestured for him to follow, "Get your horse and follow me."

Eren nodded and took the reins, following after his new female friend. _Could I call her a friend? _He thought to himself. _Maybe I should ask her...would that be strange?_

"What's it's name?" She asked, barely glancing over her shoulder.

Eren blinked, "What's name?" He asked.

"The _horse_, dumbshit."

"Oh...oh, sorry, I didn't...Rogue, I named him Rogue."

"Rogue? Why?"

"When I first met him, he was the only horse that didn't eat the apple I gave him, like as if he didn't need my help. I dropped the apple on the ground and he got it himself. When I ride him, I keep in mind that he is the creature I ride upon, which makes him more in control than I."

"So he's the boss?"

"It's more half and half. It's an understanding we have. He gets me where I want to go, and I feed and protect him."

"Hmm...that's...nice...I like that.…"

This time, he caught it, proof that this seemingly emotionless girl smiles. It was small and faint, but he caught it. A smile that appeared across her lips, gone just as fast as it came, but it is now locked away in his memory.. The more he thought of it, the more her beauty stood out to him.

"...Jaeger? Jaeger!"

Eren's eyes blinked, realizing the whole time he was staring at her. He slightly blushed, his head shaking side to side, waking from a trance of the serene spectacle, "What?"

A dusting of red spread across her cheeks, she turned her head and lifted her hand to shield it from his view, "We're here."

It took Eren a moment before he noticed his surroundings, his mouth slightly agape at the nature around him.

They were standing in a small field with grass and flowers up to their shins. Tall trees surrounded them, giving shade while also allowing beams of light to pass through their thin limbs. And in the middle of it, a huge tree that reaches it's arms out to the sky, it's branches appearing to be great wings, spreading in all directions. It was the perfect place for two people to practice.

Eren turned his head around at his new environments, confused at the purpose.

"What is this place for again?"

"Practice."

"Wow...nice find."

"We won't be needing your swords, I am gonna teach you how to move today."

"I already know how to move."

"I mean without so much armor, smartass."

"How will I be protected?"

"I am teaching you how to move fast and fluid so that you _don't_ or _barely_ get hit."

"Kinda like how you did."

"Exactly, but first, practice your horse stance."

"...Again?"

"Yes. Practice makes perfect, Jaeger. Now do it!"

Eren groaned as he spread his legs into the horse stance. Annie walked around him, looking him up and down, observing his form, touching a leg when it is a bit out of place, and occasionally giving him a few tips. Eventually she picked up two regular sized rocks and walked back to him.

"Hold your hands out straight."

Eren did so without saying anything, his arms outstretched. She placed one rock in each hand, and stepped back, "Hold those for as long as you can."

Eren gave her a funny look before sighing and nodding. How long will it take him to last?

Around six minutes later, Eren was on the floor, gasping and groaning in the vegetation around him. The familiar figure of a girl appeared over him, her blue sparkling orbs giving a hint of amusement. She held out her hand, which Eren took, and pulled him up. She nodded to his armor, "Take it all off."

"But-"

"-No...Buts…"

Eren sighed and began pulling off his armor. Annie walked over and helped him, untying the fastenings that kept the armor to the doublet.

When they got all of his armor off, excluding his arming doublet, she reached into her bag and pulled out some brown leather fingerless gloves with a small pieces of steel on the back of the hand. She gave these to Eren for him to put on.

She reached back into her bag to pull out vambraces and couters. She again helped him put them on, connecting the vambraces to his forearms and the couters to his elbows. The couter was smaller than his original couter, to allow the user more flexibility. The exclusion of a gauntlet allowed his hand to move around more while the vambrace still protected his forearm.

Next came the pauldrons, which were connected to the shoulders.

Then the breastplate, which was strange. It had the plate that covered the upper chest and back, but then has a small leather harness connecting to another plate that protected his lower chest and back. Eren found this peculiar.

"Why aren't the lower and upper portions connected by steel?"

Annie lifted her head up, fastening one of the leather straps, "They are meant to keep them connected so that we can't get stabbed in the chest or gutted while also giving enough room to do maneuvers and keep the sound it produces to a minimum."

"Ahh, smart."

After she fastened the breastplate harness to him, she reached into her bag to take out a pair of knee high leather riding boots, "Take off your boots."

Eren nodded and reached down, which was easy thanks to the flexibility the armor gave him. He took off his boots and grabbed the bigger ones, slipping them on. He noticed they were padded, probably to protect from strikes to the legs.

After she was done, she took a step back and admired her work, "How does it feel?"

Eren looked down at himself. He lifted a leg, "Lighter, more flexible, not clunky."

"Okay, good. Now, let's test it out."

Eren looked up at her, "What do you me-"

Before he could finish that question, he felt a foot thrusting itself into his stomach plate, which didn't knock the air out of him but instead pushed him down onto his back. He saw the hand extended out to him and took it, getting pulled up again.

Annie put a hand on her hip, shifting her weight to one leg, "Before we practice fighting, you need to learn how to dodge."

Eren raised an eyebrow, "When will we practice fighting?"

Annie shrugged, "When you're ready."

"How close am I to that?"

"Not very." She said, thrusting a fist at Eren's face.

Eren threw up both forearms, pushing the hand up. Behind the vambraces, Eren smiled in success. Then he felt a familiar foot thrown up into his crotch. When he doubled over, the same foot hooked around his ankle and he felt himself get pushed back onto the ground, his only friend right now. Not even the horse was giving any support. He just looks at him with an uninterested expression. _Can't help you here, buddy_, it seemed to say.

Annie stood over him again, giving him the same amused looked in her eyes, while the rest of her face gave away nothing, "We will need to work on that."

After a bit of training, and Eren falling on the ground a lot, they decided to just rest. Eren had his armor off and was drinking from his water skin. Annie was leaning on the big tree, sharpening her knife. The swift sounds of _shing-shing_ pierced the air as she grinded her Bollock dagger against the surface of the whetstone she carried.

Eren stoppered his water skin, and lifted his head up to look at Annie, "Hey, Annie, can I ask you something?"

The noise from her sharpening stopped, she glanced at him, her shining blue eyes gleaming, radiating her beauty to Eren, "Sure, I guess."

Eren reached over and grabbed his great helm, he examined it, "Where...uh...what place do you come from?"

Annie sighed and sheathed her dagger, putting the whetstone in a pouch, and sealed it. She walked over to Eren and sat down in front of him, legs crossed, "Why do you want to know?"

Eren gestured to her armor, "Your armor is...strange...I have never seen it in Maria. And I am just...you know...curious."

Annie smirked slightly, looking down, "Curiosity killed the cat."

"And I am not a cat."

"The metaphor still applies."

"Come on Annie."

"Why are you so interested?"

"Because you are an interesting girl." He stopped, _was that flirting?_

Annie snapped her head up, her smirk became more pronounced, "Oh, _am I?_"

Eren coughed, "Uh...yeah, yeah, of course. I mean, we technically just met yesterday."

"We _did_ meet yesterday."

"Exactly! And...and I want to know more about you, so that we can be...uh...better...friends."

"You consider us friends?"

"Well, kinda...do you?"

Annie looked back down, "I guess...maybe."

"So come on, tell me."

"Fine...fine…I come from a town called Stohess, in the Kingdom of Sina."

"Stohess…"

"Yes...now that we got that out of the way, are you still fine with meeting and practicing in the morning, so that we both do not arrive home late?."

Eren thought for a bit, tapping his chin with his index finger. Eventually, he nodded, "Yeah, I am still fine. When?"

"After the sun is fully visible."

"Okay, we will do it then."

"Great. Also..."

Eren turned to her, "What?"

She gave him a slight smirk, "You need to learn how to talk to girls."

Eren raised an eyebrow, "Uhh...I...wh-"

"Anyway, I should get going. See you tomorrow Eren." She waved bye before getting up, getting her stuff, and walking away.

Eren waved back, "S-see ya." His eyes stared at her until her figure finally disappeared behind the trees. Eren decided to rest for a little more before getting up, gathering his things, and getting on his horse.

He looked one last time in the direction Annie went. _That direction is Stohess_, he thought, before pulling the reins, turning the horse in the direction of his home. He nudged it's ribs with his boot, "Go." He said, and Rogue sped off towards Shiganshima.

Eren walked back through town from the stables, a big bag carrying his armor slung over one shoulder. He looked up to see the sun kissing the horizon. He was earlier than last time, so hopefully he will not come home to a worried Mikasa.

He walked a little ways out of town to the isolated house, his father's store, their home. He stopped in front of the door and sighed, turning his head to look back at the town behind him.

He turned back to the door and opened it. Walking in, he left the bag by the door, reminding himself to put the pieces back on the armor stand later. His eye caught something on the table; a note, a key, and an envelope.

He picked up the note and read it:

_Eren,_

_Jean and I are out on the town. I will be back hopefully a little bit after the moon has risen. Father came by and left a letter and key for you. They are on the table as well._

_Mikasa_

Eren growled a little at the sight of the horse face's name. He crumpled the note up and threw it somewhere in the room.

He picked up the key, studying it. It was a unique key, it had a diamond shaped head with balls on each end except for the bottom, where the shaft came out. It had a thin rope looped through the open diamond in the head, allowing him to wear it as a necklace.

He placed the key down and picked up the envelope, sealed with the official Jaeger family seal. He peeled the seal off and opened the envelope, pulling out the letter from his father. He read it:

_Dear my son, Eren,_

_My apologies for not getting to see you, I have to leave for an appointment in Rose, I will be back in a week or two. I have decided now since you are learning to be a knight by the famous knight Levi, I should give you a countdown to becoming one. That key is the key to the basement. Inside the basement is your reward to becoming a knight. Open the door when it is time. I trust you know when that time will be. See you soon, take care of your sister._

_Your Father, Grisha._

Eren looked at the key, then glanced over to the basement. _When it is time_, he repeated his father's words in his mind. He picked up the key and tied it around his neck. Sitting down by the table, he began to think of what wonders might be in the basement.

A/N: Like last time, please comment if you think something is wrong, this is always a learning experience for me.  
Also I have a tumblr:  
Thank you for reading!


	4. Sibling

A/N: Alright, again guys thank you for the support, I really REALLY appreciate it, you guys keep me going because then I know you fine people are entertained. (Does that sound douchy? Sorry.) This is, again, another lighthearted chapter filled with some cute parts and funny parts, enjoy!

**Chapter 4: Sibling**

Over the three weeks that have passed, Annie has noticed Eren improve substantially in the areas of movement and form. He moves more quickly and fluidly than before, maneuvering out of the way from half of the attacks that Annie throws at him, both while inside and outside of his armor. She also began to teach him the art of defense, blocking, disarming, and counters. She told him they will move on to offense after he proves he can can effectively counter her attacks.

Eren woke up that day hoping today would be the day where he would show Annie that he is experienced enough in defense to move on to offense. He got out of bed and put on his clothes and arming doublet, the key still tied around his neck. After the first week, Annie told him to not bring his armor; she will provide the armor for him.

He walked down the steps to the first floor, stopping immediately at the bottom as Mikasa stood in front of him, her face giving nothing away. She was dressed in her blue dress with long sleeves, he remembered being told that it was her favorite. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, as if she was ready for combat.

Eren glanced from side to side, his eyes settling on Mikasa's. They stood there, staring at each other, the air around them getting awkward. He finally decided to speak up, "Uh...good morning?"

Mikasa's eyes narrowed. She spun around, her dress twirling with her, and walked towards the table, sitting on one end, she nodded her head to the other side. Eren cocked an eyebrow, but followed his sister's instructions, sitting opposite of her.

Mikasa tapped on the wood of the table with her nails, creating a melody that could be found pleasant, if the one doing it wasn't glaring at you. This wasn't just any glare. This was a Mikasa glare. One of the worst kinds. It is the kind of glare that make soldiers retreat in fear, the kind that scared bullies away from siblings. The kind that is making Eren uneasy _right now_.

Eventually she supported her head with her right hand, turning her head to look out the window at the town their very house belongs to. She sighed and turned her head back to Eren, "I noticed over the last few weeks you have been traveling to the forest early in the morning every morning."

Eren's eyes widened slightly, but he regained the state of his expressions shortly afterwards. But Mikasa caught that, "Eren, please, I am your sister, do not lie to me."

Eren nodded, "I would never lie to you, Mika. I am just practicing out there."

Mikasa raised an eyebrow, "Practicing?"

"Yeah, yeah, remember Levi said to start practicing outside of lessons? I decided to do it in the forest, it's a tranquil place."

Mikasa looked down, nodding her head, "Okay, I understand. That makes sense. Go on ahead, but remember to eat before you go."

Eren smiled and nodded, "Of course."

After Eren finished his food, he got up and walked to the door. Before he opened it, he

grabbed a tall bag and looked back at Mikasa, who gave him a smile. He smiled back and opened the door, walking outside, he closed it behind him.

After he closed the door, Mikasa's smile disappeared. She got up and walked up to the window, watching as he began to walk towards the forest. She spun around and pulled off her dress, revealing her leather armor underneath. She walked to the door, opened it, and closed it behind herself. She turned back to the forest to see Eren entering it. She followed him, trying her best to not be seen by her brother.

Eventually she stopped and hid behind one of the trees, watching as Eren entered a wide area with a big tree in the center. A cloaked figure leaned against the tree, pushing off of it and walking up to Eren. It was a small figure, at least by six inches. The person reached up and threw off their cowl, showing the face of a young woman. Mikasa waited and listened, eyes fixed on the girl.

Eren emerged from the forest into the wide open area Annie showed him a few weeks ago. He saw the girl leaning against the tree, looking mysterious. He smirked and walked over, one hand stuck in his pocket, the other holding the bag of training swords over his shoulder. When he got close, Annie pushed herself off of the tree and walked the rest of the way. She reached up and pulled her cowl down, meeting Eren's emeralds with her sapphires. Her eyes gave the expressions her face lacks.

Annie glanced down at the bag he carried, "Got the training swords?"

Eren reached in and pulled out two wooden swords, "Yeah, sorry, got kinda held up by my sister."

Annie took both swords and leaned them against the tree, "Don't worry about it. Before we start, I wanted to ask...the key, why do you wear it?"

Eren looked down at the key around his neck, "Oh, this? A few weeks ago, my father left it for me and told me to 'Open the door when it is time'."

"When do you think that time is?" She asked, reaching into her bag, she took out the pieces of armor. She walked over and began to fasten them to his body.

Eren stood there, unmoving so as to not interfere with Annie's fastening, "I do not know...but he trusts that I will know when that time has come."

Annie nodded, fastening the harness for the chest plates, "Do you think you will know?"

Eren slightly shrugged, "I cannot say, but I hope I will."

Annie bent down to fasten the parts for the legs, "Well, whatever you find, it better be amazing."

"Yeah…"

Annie stood up, looking him up and down, "Okay, you're ready." She said, walking over to the swords, she grabbed one and tossed it to him, grabbing one for herself. They squared off in a clear area, "Remember what I taught you."

"Of course."

"Okay." She bent her legs and her back slightly, shifting her weight from one side to the other constantly, staying on her toes, like a cat.

Eren bent his legs one in front of the other. They both kept their swords pointed at each other. Their eyes locked together, unblinking.

Annie raised her sword to attack, Eren was about to block when a figure came out of the brush and a familiar voice shouted.

"Eren!? Who is this?"

Eren's eyes widened as he turned his head to see his sister walking towards them, dressed in her leather armor. She had both hands on her hips, which she almost never does. _This is bad_, Eren thought, noting the positions of her hands.

Before Eren could say anything, a huge _thunk_ echoed throughout the area as Eren dropped to the floor, clutching his head, "Annie!"

Annie looked at Eren, then at Mikasa, "Remember Eren, don't let anything distract you, even if it's your...girlfriend confronting us." She said, hesitating to say the word, as on the inside, she wished it wasn't true.

Mikasa's head snapped to Annie, staring daggers into her, "_Girlfriend?_ No, I am his _sister!_"

They could both hear Annie give a faint sigh of relief.

Eren pushed himself up to his knees, "Well it's not like it's _obvious_, Mika!"  
Mikasa walked over and helped Eren to his feet, but he pushed away, "I'm fine. I'm fine. It's not the first time I have been hit on the head."

Mikasa looked back at Annie, "Again, who is this?"

Annie took a step towards her, "The name is Annie Leonhardt, I am training your brother here."

Mikasa narrowed her eyes at Annie, then at Eren, "So you were half-lying?"

Eren smiled, shrugging, "Yeah...I guess."

Annie raised an eyebrow, "Your brother shows great potential."

"_Shutup._" Mikasa snapped.

Eren put his hands on Mikasa's shoulders, who tried to wiggle them off, but he held firm, "Mikasa, calm down. I wanted this. Levi is too..._demanding._" He looked into her eyes. Her features softened. Eren continued, "Just please...don't tell anyone about this."

Mikasa's eyes switched between Eren and Annie, her face concealing her internal processions. She was carefully thinking of this situation.

After a moment of silence, Eren repeated, _"Please?"_

Eventually she nodded, "Okay, Eren, I will trust you with this one. But you." She said, pointing to Annie, "You and I should fight, I wanna see if you're worth his time."

Annie shook her head, "Not today, how does next week sound?"

Mikasa crossed her arms, looked down, and scrunched her mouth to one side in thought. Instantly her head snapped up, "I can't, I have plans to be with my suitor."

Annie's face turned from bored to slightly amused and bored, "Your suitor, eh? Jean, right? The...uh…" She turned to Eren, "What did you call him?"

Eren's eyes widened, his head slowly shaking, "Annie...no…"

Annie pointed a finger at Mikasa, "Ahhh yes...a horse-faced loud-mouthed asshole idiot."

Eren slowly spun around to face his sister, an expression of utter horror plastered on his face, but he tried to keep a smile. Mikasa was giving him the look. That look. The one that scares away the mythical monsters in folk tales. The one that makes Levi The Great himself cower to his knees. The one that could literally kill someone. She was giving him _that_ look.

This look literally froze Eren in the spot. Mikasa walked over, her steps sounding like that of a giant's. Her hands curled around the dull wooden blade of the training sword Eren held in his hand, pulling it from his grasp. He didn't stop her as she raised it behind her head and swung it at his face, smacking him to the ground. Eren stayed on the ground, his head pounding from the second piece of wood that hit the side of his head.

Two heads blocked his view of the forest ceiling. An angel and a demon, in appearance. Eren closed his eyes as he heard one of them speak, "That was a good swing."

"Thanks, I try my best."

"Though you, Jaeger, you need to learn to duck. Maybe we should hold off on learning how to go on the offensive."

Eren's eyes shot open, "No!" He jumped to his feet, "No, no-" He felt a flash of pain wash over the side of his head. He raised a hand up to it,"_Owww."_

"Then we should continue, I mean, if the sibling wills it so?" Annie said, slightly turning her head to Mikasa and raising her eyebrows.

Mikasa slowly nodded, holding the training sword out to Eren, who took it.

"Do you want to stay and watch?" He asked.

Mikasa looked at Eren then at Annie, who gave a faint smile and nodded. She turned and walked to a small rock, and sat on it, crossing one leg over the other, "Go ahead."

Eren looked back to Annie and nodded, "Okay, let's dance."

Annie smirked, "Gladly."

She lunged forward, coming in with an overhead attack. Eren raised his sword above his head high, meeting her sword with his, a loud _thunk_echoing through the area.

Annie stepped back, bringing her sword back to position. Eren did the same.

She lunged again, slicing for his legs. He blocked.

Left arm.

Block.

Head.

Block.

She feinted, going for his left leg then his right arm. She almost got him as he went to block his leg but quickly snapped his hand up to block her attack.

Thrust.

Jump back.

Slice for neck.

Duck under.

She dropped down to sweep kick his leg. He hopped, missing her feet, and landed successfully.

Side.

Block.

Thrust.

Eren stepped to the side and lunged for her wrist, grabbing it. He pulled her close to him, their chests touched. Annie could feel Eren's breath blowing against her hair. She slowly looked up at him. Her sapphires met his emeralds. Their eyes locked. He could feel her breath come up to meet his as their lips almost touched

It was then she felt it. A wooden edge against her neck. She glanced down to see his wooden sword brushing against her throat. Eren's face wasn't showing any signs of gloating, only waiting for _her_ acceptance.

She raised her hand and placed it on his chest. She could feel his beating heart against her palm. She gently pushed herself away from Eren, taking a few steps away from him so that she can regain her breath.

Eren stood there, shuffling awkwardly, he raised an eyebrow at her, "Annie?"

Annie's head snapped up to him, "Uh...I'm fine. You did...g-good. We will move on to offensive, uhm...tomorrow."

Eren's mouth turned up in a smile, "Really?"

Annie nodded, "Y-yeah. Lesson over, let me get that armor off of you."

Eren cocked an eyebrow, "Over? Don't you think it's too early?"

Annie walked over, starting to get the armor off with shaking fingers, "Maybe a bit. Think of it as a break for all the...all the hard work you have done."

Eren gave her a worried look, "Annie, are you okay?"

Annie nodded, "Yes, yeah, I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

Eren grabbed her wrist gently and pulled it up into her sight, showing her fingers moving uncontrollably, "You're fumbling."

Annie's eyes focused on her hand, her eyes wide and confused.

She blinked and pulled her hand back, quickly going back to unfastening his armor, "I told you...I'm fine."

Annie suddenly felt a hand tap her shoulder. She turned around to see Mikasa behind her, a faint worried look on her face as well, "Annie, go sit down. I can handle this."

Annie looked back at Eren, who nodded. She let go of him, walking over to the big tree and sitting down, her hands landing in her lap, she looked down at them.

Eren looked at Mikasa, who shook her head and mouthed, "We will talk later."

After Mikasa got all of the armor off of Eren, Annie took it all and packed up. Before she left, she turned to Eren, "See you tomorrow." She said, not so shaken anymore.

Eren gave her a smile, "See you tomorrow, Annie."

Annie nodded and quickly ran into the brush without another word.

Mikasa tapped Eren on the shoulder, gesturing towards town, "Let's get home." She said before walking in the direction of Shiganshima. Eren picked up the practice swords and followed behind her.

It wasn't until they were far from the practice area that Mikasa spoke up, "She is a..._peculiar_ girl."

Eren looked at Mikasa, stepping over a fallen log, "She is weird, but she is fair...and nice."

"...and beautiful."

"What?"

"I saw the way you looked at her, and the way she looks at you. It's obvious you both like each other, neither of you just want to admit it."

"Wait…"

"Just tell me Eren. Do you like her? I would completely understand. In fact, it's about time you found someone. Someone who fights like you, someone you enjoy beating the shit outta you, someone that will help you. Someone who will make you happy. So tell me. Do you like her?"

Eren was speechless, he couldn't find the right words to say as they both stepped on stones to get to the other side of the small river. He began to think. _Did he like her?_ He ran through his mind all of the parts of her that he liked and disliked. And one outweighed the other.

"I do." He answered.

They exited the forest, seeing the town in the distance. Eren wondered if Annie was thinking about the same thing they were talking about as she saw her town in the distance.

Mikasa stopped and turned to him, her grey eyes reflecting the sun, "Then tell her."

A/N: If you liked what you saw, please don't be afraid to leave a comment, maybe some criticism (just as long as the criticism isn't "hurr dum lol" or anything like that, it will be fine, basically make sure all criticism is respectful. I do learn but I need to learn my mistakes, not the way you like to text.)  
Anyway, I digress, again, thank you guys for reading, it's very important to me that you enjoy it because I do want to become a writer and this is great practice.  
Also, Mina comes in the next chapter, I don't know if I made her too cute or too crazy.


	5. Stohess

A/N: Kinda iffy about this chapter, but I hope you all enjoy it!

Chapter 5: Stohess

Annie was taking her time walking through the forest, which was strange. She never walked through the forest, she always ran. It was a good workout and practice for maneuvering through groups of people. Her father used to have her run after him through the parts of the forest with the most branches when she was younger. She would always hit something, trip over something, or completely slam into something. Her father would always pick her up and carry her home.

But now she is seventeen. Now she is a woman, not a little girl who played pretend with her friends. She can work on her own, fight on her own, and live on her own. She can pick herself up and bring herself home. She is able to talk back to others and be respected. Her presence has been known to scare others. She is a woman.

And she has fallen in love.

Fallen in love with a man. A man who didn't know what he was doing until he met her. A man who asked her for help. Asked her for guidance. Asked her for practice. A man who praised her, listened to her, and idolized her. A man who can take her breath away just by his mere presence. She does not know why he makes her feel this way.

She needed to talk to someone about this. She needed to find someone who is experienced in this field and will always listen to her then tell her what to do. She needed a girl who helped her throughout her whole life.

Mina.

Her best friend. Polar opposites, but they got along rather well. She talks a lot; especially now, when Mina has arrived at that age where the topic changes to the men of the town. Annie never could find an interest in the men of Stohess. She wants someone different. And Eren is different. Ergo, she wants Eren.

So she needed to talk to Mina.

Annie had Stohess in sight, just past the branches of the trees that surrounded it. She took another step toward it and stopped, freezing. Her eyes darted from side to side, scanning. Her ears listened for the slightest sound. With one foot in front of the other already, she is set to switch to the horse stance at any moment.

For a moment there was silence, louder than anything she has ever heard, dominating every sound in the forest.

A creak from the branch above her caught her attention. She paused for a second, letting the attacker think she didn't hear it, then rolled to the side, dropping her bag. She saw a built figure land and roll out of the way to catch their fall with a thump and rustle.

They didn't get a chance to get up as Annie placed her foot on the side of a tree to boost herself up and grab a branch, using the momentum she gathered to swing off and land on the attacker, stomping them to the ground. She grabbed both arms and pushed her boot into the attacker's back to keep them from being able to move.

That's when she noticed the attacker was wearing the same garb as her.

"Ahh...Annie! Stop! Stop! I surrender!"

The voice was muscular and familiar to her. She didn't have the time to figure out who it was before she heard a rustle behind her. She let go of the attacker and drew her knife, grabbing the shoulder of the tall figure behind her and pushing them against the nearest tree, holding the blade to their throat, her face giving nothing away.

"It was Reiner's idea!"

Annie spun around and threw the knife. It stabbed into the dirt between Reiner's legs, which jumped back at the sudden blade almost castrating him. He got up, picking up the knife and giving it back to her.

"Nice to see you too."

Annie sheathed the knife and looked at her two old friends, Reiner and Bertholdt. Not only has she became friends with them, she also trained and fought with them. They weren't like her as well, they also liked to show their emotion. Annie just never liked to reveal her emotions to others.

Except for Eren and Mina, that is.

Annie took one last look at her two comrades before picking up her bag and taking a step towards Stohess. A hand shot out and stopped her. She followed the arm to find it connected to Bertholdt, who was giving her a curious look, "Annie...we've been noticing that…uh..."

Annie cocked an eyebrow, the only hint of curiosity on her face, "That?"

Bertholdt looked at Reiner, who slightly held his hands up, pushing the responsibility of finishing the sentence back to Bertholdt, who cursed silently, "We noticed that you seemed to go to the forest...a lot."

Annie's other eyebrow joined the cocked eyebrow, "And?"

Bertholdt looked at Reiner again, who gave him a stern look. Bertholdt gulped and looked back down at Annie, "And...it's just kind of...peculiar."

Annie readjusted the bag over her shoulder, "It's none of your business what I do in the forest. And if both of you have been watching me go in and out of the forest, I ask of you to stop."

Without another word, she pushed past the two bigger men and continued back into Stohess.

She lived in her father's house, which was on the edge of town, complete with targets set up for practice. Her father was the captain of the army in Stohess, serving under the command of Nile Dok, the commander. Her father taught her everything he knew.

She opened the door, the creaking echoing throughout the house. She made a note to oil the iron hinges, as the noise of rusty hinges irritates her. She walked to the armor stand in the main room, taking the pieces of armor out of the bag and placing them on one by one.

When she finished, she took a step back and viewed the armor. Stohess was different from the other towns in Sina. They don't have soldiers, they have warriors. They don't fight traditionally, they use unorthodox moves, wear lighter armor, and there are smaller amounts of them. They are always useful, especially during wars when they need successful ambushes.

Annie took off her armor, showing her outfit, a strange combination of an arming doublet and a pullover jacket, one which fit her form perfectly, and white trousers. She pulled off her boots, showing she was barefoot underneath, and walked over to one of the chairs around the dining table. She sat down and looked down at the pull threads, grabbing each with her thumb and forefinger. She pulled one, then the other, feeling her hood tighten on each side.

The door creaked, Annie's head snapped up to see her best friend at the door, smiling slightly at her, "Oh, hey Mina."

Mina closed the door behind her and walked in, "Hey Annie, you're back!"

Annie slowly nodded, "Obviously."

Mina sat down across from Annie, an awkward silence emanating from between the two friends, until Mina was the first one to speak up, "Soooooo, I heard Hitch and Marlo were seen making out in the forest yesterday."

Annie raised an eyebrow, "Hitch and Marlo? Never would've thought..."

Mina nodded, "Yeah I know, right?" She asked, smiling as she drew shapes in the table for a minute. Then she turned her head up, "Hey, Annie, when are you going to...you know...get a man?"

Annie shrugged, "I don't know. When I'm ready."

"Any potentials stand out to you?"

Annie tried to think of possible suitors, when her mind quickly switched to Eren. She turned her head, feeling herself flushing, and raised a hand to place on her cheek to hide it from Mina.

But Mina notices everything. Her eyes widened, she slammed her hands on the table, and pushed herself so that she could lean in closer to Annie, a huge grin on her face, "Tell me."

Annie regained control of her emotions. Her face was back to the bored expression, proof of there ever being a thought of love in her mind gone.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

Mina slammed her hands on the table again, "Don't bullshit me, Annie! You are a shitty liar!"

If there was one thing that scared Annie, it was an annoyed Mina.

Annie held her hands up, "Okay, okay, just...calm down."

Mina pushed herself back into her seat, her eyes eager for the juicy information she was about to receive.

Annie sighed, resting her elbows on the table, "His name is Eren…Eren Jaeger."

Mina supported her head with her hands, staring in curiosity, "And?"

Annie shrugged, "He is around my age. He is training to be a knight, and I am helping him with that."

Mina nodded, "Where does he live? I have never seen nor heard of him around here."

Annie sighed again, "He is from Shiganshima...all the way in Maria. Basically on the other side of the forest."

Mina's eyes widened, "Maria!?" She sat back in her seat.

Annie raised an eyebrow, "Mina, you okay?"

Mina nodded, "It's just...so romantic! I have heard of stories of two lovers, separated by a forest or by their town's traditions, and here I am, friends with one of those lovers."

"But we aren't separated by anything."

"Not yet."

"What does that mean?"

"How do you know you...like him?"

Annie looked at a spot on the floor to her left, "When we first started practicing, I caught him looking at me for long periods of time. Then he complimented me endlessly on my skills. It is quite flattering. But lately, when I am around him, I have this strange feeling in my chest. And today he got very close to me and I was just frozen with a wave of heat passing over my heart."

Mina smiles, "Oh sweet Sina, you love him! You love him! You love him! You! Love! Him!"

Annie put a hand out, "Stop Mina, I can not call it love just yet, we have not even kissed or...or danced."

Mina was slightly bouncing in her seat, "It is going to come, Annie. It. Is. Going. To. Come!"

"Do not get your hopes up Mina. And calm down. I do not want anyone else to hear us."

"Trust me Annie. I am an expert in this field. And you are quite in love. You may even call it...true love!"

Annie scoffs, she looked off to the side, reaching up to hide the flush that has appeared on her cheeks again.

Back in Shiganshima…

Eren and Mikasa were walking through town after the lesson. Mikasa looked at the stores they passed by, just in case she needed anything for tonight. Eren kept his gaze straight ahead, his mind replaying what Mikasa had said. Tell her, he thought, how?

Before he could think any farther, two voices called out, "Eren! Mikasa!"

The two sibling's heads spun around to face their old friends, Sasha and Connie, who worked as couriers and messengers. They got along more than most people did, and if there is one thing they loved doing, it's messing with people. Eren has witnessed and fell victim to it many times. He could still feel the cold he caught when he was pushed into the river.

Connie first spoke, "Guys, did you hear? The Maria Midsummer Festival is coming up in a week!"

Sasha then spoke, "Make sure you have a date! Anyway, we have to tell a lot of people this, so bye!" And with that, they were off.

Mikasa looked at Eren, who sighed, "Eren, this is the perfect time. Ask her."

Eren looked at his sister, "How can I know that she will say yes? It would be very very awkward if she said no."

Mikasa sighed, and grabbed Eren's wrist, pulling him along as they walked out of town, "I have seen how she looks at you. If she says no, or tries to say no, just keep on trying. I know you. Once you set your mind on something, you never stop until you get that something. She will say yes. Trust me."

Mikasa stopped in the path to their home, turning around to look Eren in the eyes, waiting for his response.

Eren looked Mikasa in the eyes, seeing the shape of their home in the distance behind her in his peripheral. The sun was beating down on both of them as it hung at an angle, in the perfect position to get both their face and their neck. Sweat slid down Eren's skin as he pondered his choice.

Eventually he sighed and nodded, "Okay, okay, you're right. It's just that...I never had an interest in any other girl except her."

Mikasa raised an eyebrow, "What about Historia?"

Eren smirked and shook his head, a small chuckle escaping his throat, "That was when I was ten! That doesn't count!"

Mikasa allowed herself a small smile. She let go of Eren, turned around and continued home, with Eren following next to her, "So is Jean taking you?"

Mikasa gave him a glare before nodding, "Yes, he is. Do not mess with him."

Eren gave a mock gasp, "I would never!"

They reached the steps to their home, Eren opening the door for Mikasa, "Levi told me there will not be a lesson today as he has some 'important business to attend to'."

Mikasa turned to Eren as he dropped the training swords and closed the door, "Then you can practice. You will practice."

Eren's whole body slumped, "Aww, come on!"

Mikasa raised an eyebrow, pulling off her leather boots, "Or we can spar?"

Eren sighed and shook his head, "Fine, fine, I'll practice."

Eren turned toward the door, picking up a training sword. He placed his hand on the doorknob. He stopped and turned around, "When should I ask her?"

Mikasa shook her head, "You decide, just make sure it is before the festival."

A/N: Remember to comment if you feel something was off. I was a bit iffy about this chapter, but I hope it is good enough.


	6. Mother

A/N: This will be a more touching chapter, more emotional, but I hope you guys enjoy it!

**Chapter 6: Mother**

Over the few days that have passed, life between the young master and apprentice have been getting more and more queer by the day. Sometimes Annie would catch Eren staring at her, and every time Eren got in close to Annie during their practice, Annie would stay close to him longer than usual. The two have also been getting to know each other better, bringing them closer together as a more intimate bond began to form.

As the days to the festival get shorter and shorter, Eren gets more and more nervous about asking her to join him. He tried again and again, but it has always resulted in him saying nothing as she stared at him with a bored expression, waiting for his question. He just can not seem to do it. But, a few days before the festival, he decided he will force the question out of himself if he needs to.

_Up. Down. One. Up. Down. Two. _This was what was going through Eren's mind as he was doing his push-ups early in the morning before he meets up with Annie. The sun poking up from the horizon radiated it's lights through the window onto Eren, making him look as if he was glowing as the sweat slid down his body.

As he finished his set of thirty push-ups and sit-ups, he stood up and slipped on his arming doublet. Walking down the steps, he ran his hands through his wet dark brown hair as his green eyes met Mikasa's grey eyes. She placed his food on the table and sat down in front of her food across from his, "Gonna ask her today?"

Eren sat down, taking a bite of his bread before swallowing and nodding, "I hope I can."

Mikasa sighed, "Just ask her, you think Jean was smooth when he said he was interested in me? Hell no."

Eren smirked at the thought of Jean stammering in front of his sister, "Yeah, yeah, you're right, I will ask her today."

Mikasa showed a faint smile, "Good, now finish your food and get going."

Eren nodded and finished up his food before getting up and grabbed a pack with two training swords in it. As his hand was placed on the doorknob, Mikasa spoke up, "Be careful, alright?" Eren simply nodded, proceeding to open the door and step out before closing the door behind him. He took a deep breath before starting his trek into the forest.

Eren's feet brushed through the tall grass and flowers, looking around at the trees surrounding the giant one. He noticed that Annie was not present, which was strange, as she was never late. He did not know what to do, so he just walked over to the giant tree, laid the training swords against it, and sat down at the foot of the tree.

Immediately afterwards he could hear rustling and feet hitting the ground. He was instantly on his feet, seeing Annie burst through the bushes into the practice area, her cloak fluttering everywhere, "My apologies, my father held me up."

Eren shook his head, "No, it's fine. Shall we get started?"

Annie nodded, "Yeah, let me just get the armor on you." She pulled out the armor pieces and began to fasten them to Eren's doublet.

Eren looked at her and tried to start a conversation, "So...your father...what does he do?"

Annie looked up at him and shrugged, "He is a captain." She quickly got finished with his upper body.

Eren nodded, "Do you...get along with him?"

Annie looked up again, slightly swinging her head to get her bangs out of her face, "Uh...yeah, we do. He taught me everything I know." She finished his lower body, standing up and walking over to the swords, grabbing one for herself and tossing the other to Eren.

Eren caught it, but was instantly attacked by Annie, he blocked the strike and tried to swing at her, but she blocked it as well.

They stepped off from each other, staring into each other's eyes, waiting for the next move. Eren inhaled, "That's good." He dove in to attack her legs. She dodged out of the way, and they went back to staring.

"Yeah, it is."

She dashed in, her sword thrusting for his arm, he deflected it out of the way.

She back-stepped away, "What about _your_ father?"

Eren back-stepped as well, "He is a doctor. My sister and I run his apothecary, which is also our house."

He blocked another attack as Annie dove in, "Interesting." She said.

Eren dove in, thrusting towards her chest. She dodged out of the way.

"What about your mother?" Eren asked, jumping back.

Annie dashed in to get Eren in the chest, but as she got in close, she stopped.

Eren looked down at Annie, noticing the lack of pain that a wooden sword hitting his chest should give him, "A-Annie?"

The girl's head slowly turned up to him, their eyes interlocking with each other. She looked down, staying silent.

Eren crouched to her level, dropping his sword, he gently grabbed her shoulders, "Annie…"

Her hair blocked her face, but he could feel her body tremble under his fingers. He could hear her shuddered breath and escaped sobs as he realized he struck something. Hard.

Eren did not know what to do in this situation. He was never put into this position before. He decided to do what seemed right. He got up from his crouched position, pulled her in close to his chest and wrapped his arms around her, comforting her.

What surprised him was that she allowed him to do it as she leaned her head against his chest plate, dropping her sword. Her sobs became louder as her sadness progressed, making Eren feel more horrible by the minute.

He waited a bit, before he said, "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to bring anything up."

She pushed herself away from him, shaking her head. Her head looked up so that her sapphires met his emeralds, he could see her eyes were red and puffy from the tears. She sniffed, "No...no, it's fine. You wouldn't have known." She said, raising her hand to push her fringe behind her ear before continuing, "My mother passed away when I was...I believe six...from a disease...my father took full care of me afterwards."

Eren nodded and gestured to the huge tree before walking over and sitting by it. Annie hesitated, but then walked over to sit down next to Eren. They looked at each other, waiting for one to speak.

Eren decided to do so, "My mother died when I was ten from a illness as well. My father tried his best with everything he had, but all he could do was make her more comfortable. He didn't mourn for long, as he decided she would want him to take care of Mikasa and I."

Annie nodded, looking away at the surrounding trees, staying silent.

A few minutes of silence passed as they calmed down and Annie was alright again.

Eren turned to Annie, "Uh...Annie…"

She turned her head to face him, "Yes?"

Eren could not find the words, he was going to fail again. No! He cannot fail now. His mouth was opening and closing, trying to find the words.

Annie cocked an eyebrow, "Uhh...Eren?"

Instantly, Eren found the words, "Would you like to accompany me to the Maria Midsummer Festival with me?" He said quickly.

Annie blinked, then looked away, hiding a blush, "Uhh...I am not sure...if I can…"

Eren looked down, feeling embarrassed. Then he remembered Mikasa's words. _Just be persistent_, he thought, turning back to Annie, "Are you sure?"

Annie nodded, looking down at her feet, her blush gone, "Positive."

Eren looked ahead at the trees, seeing a deer run by, he narrowed his eyes a bit, turning his head back to Annie, "Why?"

Annie seemed lost in a thought. She blinked, her eyes snapping to Eren's, "What?"

Eren repeated, "Why?"

Annie looked back down, blinking several times, "Well...I...am busy that night."

Eren cocked an eyebrow, "I never even told you when it was."

Annie's eyebrows raised, "Oh, well...uhh...I c-can't...because…"

Eren slammed his palm against the tree, causing a slight vibration to rock through it, "_God_, Annie! Why do you have to lie to me?" He got straight up to his feet, and began pacing back and forth in front of Annie, who stared at him, wide eyed.

"I respect you, I admire you, I listen to you. I am just trying to-_let me finish_-I am just trying to show you my thanks for everything you have done for me. Because of you, Levi actually respects me as a human. Because of you, I can walk through town and be thought of as a potential knight. Because of you, I can actually think of a future where I _am_ a successful knight. I just want to do something nice for you that doesn't include bringing the _swords!_ I want to do things with you that doesn't include defense and offense!

"Can't we just do something together that excludes me being knocked on my ass? I just want to have fun sometimes, and I think you would really enjoy the festival. Just one night, Annie, please, just _one night_ can we be together without our swords or our armor, and have fun?" He said, almost out of breath, he stopped in front of Annie and looked at her.

Annie was speechless, not able to think of what to say. She just sat there and stared up at him. After a moment, she blinked and stood up, locking eyes with Eren before walking a bit away from the tree with her back facing him.

Eren raised an eyebrow and curse himself in his head. _Fuck, was I too harsh?_ He asked himself, looking down at his feet, waiting for her to speak.

Annie inhaled, "Why me?" She exhaled, her back still turned to Eren.

Eren's head snapped up, "What?"

Annie turned around to face him, "Why _me?_" She repeated.

Eren ran his fingers through his hair, going down until he reached the back of his neck, where he began scratching, "Well...uh…" He looked her up and down, listing every reason why in his head. He lowered his hand and inhaled.

"Because you are kind...and smart...skilled...patient. What else? I can relate to you somewhat...uhh...you're the best at what you do and you can move and fight better than anyone I have seen. Because I want to reward you for everything you have done for me...and...frankly…" He looked up into her eyes, which snapped from looking at the trees to look at him, "I think you are...pretty."

Annie's stance had changed. She pulled her hood up because her blush got redder with every word Eren said. She began to bite her thumbnail and her eyes darted from the trees to Eren's body. She crossed one leg in front of the other and began to dig her boot into the ground by twisting it. Her breath became uneven and her chest rose and fell almost rapidly. That warm feeling radiated in her heart again, this time also spreading out all over her body. When Eren gave that last compliment, she began to slightly shake, trying not to show her emotions the way she wants to.

After a minute of trying to take back control of herself, Annie turned to Eren, her eyes giving off a certain shine, "I see you have, uh, gotten better at talking to girls." She said with a smirk.

Eren couldn't help but let out a short chuckle, looking down at his boots before looking back up at Annie, "I...I guess…"

Annie walked up to Eren, getting in close and pushing herself up onto her toes so that she was slightly higher than before staring into Eren's green orbs. This time Eren began to feel uncomfortable.

Annie gave a humorous huff before lowering herself back onto her feet and nodding, starting to get the armor off of Eren, "Okay, I will go. When is it?"

Eren smiled, a celebration going off in his head, "In three days' time, we will meet up here after sunset."

Annie nodded, "Okay. Well, lesson's over early." She said, getting the armor off of Eren. She put the armor into her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

As she began to walk away, she gave a two finger wave, "See you in three days, Jaeger."

Eren nodded and waved back, "See ya!"

When she disappeared into the brush, Eren jumped into the air, throwing his fists up, "Yes!" He silently exclaimed, giving himself a small celebration at his success over his fear of being rejected.

Afterwards, he gathered the two swords into his bag and walked back home, happy to tell the news to Mikasa.

_Earlier that day_

Annie looked down at herself, making sure her armor was properly fastened to her arming pullover doublet. When she was satisfied, she pulled her hood over her head, picked up the bag of armor for Eren and exited her house, looking to both sides before hurrying towards the forest. After Bertholdt and Reiner held her up the other day, she became more careful as people pushed into her personal life. She only allowed Mina to do so because it is impossible to prevent her from doing so, especially when she is your best friend.

Over the past few days, Mina kept on asking questions about Eren whenever the chance revealed itself. _What color is his hair? His eyes? Is he a good fighter? How'd you meet? Where'd you meet? When'd you meet? Do you think he likes you? What does he like? Does he have a cute brother? Does he have a brother?_

For Annie, it did get annoying, but you have to appease Mina, or else she will not stop. But Mina's behavior was understandable. Annie never had a crush or anyone she was interested in. And now, at the age of seventeen, she has one, so it's big news that Annie doesn't want let out. But she can trust Mina, she always has, always will.

As she got halfway there, she heard a noise and stopped, dropping her bag to the ground. She put her hands on her hips, "Reiner, I know it's you this time." She sighed.

She heard a soft thump behind her, "You're good."

Annie gave a short humorless laugh, turning to face the brute, "You should already know that no one can sneak up on me."

Reiner wore a huge grin, "I guess I should. So...where are you going?"

Annie picked up the bag and slung it over her shoulder, "None of your business. Go back to Stohess."

As she proceeded to her destination, she could see Reiner walking next to her, "I don't think so. You know, Annie, you shouldn't be keeping secrets from other warrio-"

He was cut off as a blade touched against his throat. He glanced at Annie, who glanced back, "If it's none of your business, then I don't need to tell you. Now please, Reiner. Go back."

Reiner gulped, then held his hands up, "Okay, okay, Annie, I'll go. But know this. A warrior can't keep a secret from their brethren if it risks their way of life." And with that, Reiner walked back home.

Annie sheathed her knife and looked at the sun, "Shit, I am going to be late. I hope Eren doesn't mind." She said, continuing to run towards the practice area.

A/N: Like always, leave a review to voice your opinion. Also if something doesn't seem right, just tell me. I take (constructive) criticism well. Thank you for reading!


	7. Festival

A/N: This chapter is mostly to develop the relationship. Cute stuff. Enjoy!

**Chapter 7: Festival**

"Well, Mikasa? How do I look?"

Mikasa turned around to face her brother, her blue long sleeved full length silk dress with gold lining twirling with her legs. The collar of her dress stopped just above her shoulders, the sleeves wider around the wrist area so that the ends hang low. A small cape similar in design to her dress hung over her shoulders, blocking them from sight. A silver ruby necklace hung around her neck, a gift given to her by Jean.

Her grey eyes scanned Eren's garment. He was wearing a red doublet with golden embroidery, lining, and buttons. The collar closed and high, surrounding his neck while still allowing some breathing room. The trousers he wore were black combined with brown leather dress boots. A dagger was strapped to his side, mostly for appearance. He ran his fingers through his short hair, cut recently by Mikasa the day before. He was in the process of slipping on brown leather gloves and checking his golden cuff links.

Mikasa's lips curled up in a smile as she saw her brother, "I think with that you will sweep her off her feet."

Eren smirked, shaking his head, "She will probably do that before I have a chance."

Mikasa gave a short laugh, "Yeah, well, you better go get your damsel, I am sure she is waiting for you."

Eren finished messing with his cuffs, starting to walk to the door, "Yeah you're right, I will be back soon."

"Wait!"

Eren turned to his sister, "What?"

Mikasa walked up and licked her fingers before she began messing with Eren's hair, "Just making sure you look good."

Eren stood there, allowing his sister to touch his hair. She glanced at him as she did so, "Do you know the correct way to address a lady?"

Eren sighed, taking a step back after his sister let go, he bowed and held his hand out, "My lady, shall we...blah blah blah?"

Mikasa huffed then nodded, "Good enough, now go!"

Eren nodded, walking back to the door and opening it to see Jean standing in front, wearing a doublet similar to his, but green, "Ahh, Jaeger, going to get your date?"

Eren pushed past him gently, "As a matter of fact, I am. Take care of my sister." He said, seeing his horse Rogue outside tied to a post, just where he left him, "Hey Rogue." He put his foot in the stirrup and swung his leg over to get on the saddle, "Let's go get the pretty lady." And with a nudge of the ribs, the horse and his master were off to the forest.

Jean witnessed this while still in front of the door, "Jaeger seemed to have changed recently, what do you think the reason may be?"

Mikasa was looking in the mirror, checking her hair, "Her name is Annie."

Jean looked back to his date that night, walking in and closing the door, "Annie? Never heard of her, she from around here?"

Mikasa looked back at Jean, "No, she is from Stohess."

"Stohess? Sina?"

"Yup."

"Damn. I guess Jaeger can only get girls that don't know about him." He said, a big smile on his face as he laughed at his own joke in his mind.

Mikasa narrowed her eyes, "This is why Eren doesn't like you."

"Oh Annie, you look _beautiful!"_

"I don't know, Mina."

"Hold on. One more thing."

Annie looked at herself in the mirror, unsure of whether or not she looks good. She kept her hair the same, it was a style she was comfortable with. She always did her own makeup, which was simple, except this time she let Mina pick out the lipstick. Apparently, red looks good on her lips.

She wasn't sure if the white gown was good. The top went slightly over her shoulders, letting the bodice have more control over the dress so that it does not fall, which felt a bit tight around her waist and accentuated her breasts more than Annie would have wanted. Annie asked why that part was necessary when putting the dress on.

"Because men love clothing that make the boobs more pronounced." Mina answered with a smile on her face.

"I...uh...I don't think Eren is that kind of guy."

"Oh trust me, Ann, _every_ guy is that kind of guy."

The skirt fell down to the floor, not tight, allowing her to twirl in it. The skirt went all the way down to her ankles, showing her white flats. Being this low, it helped her, as she was keeping a knife strapped to her leg, just in case. The sleeves were loose, so her arms had plenty of room in them. There were patterns embroidered into the dress, which gave it a better look. She just wished that Mina would loosen it a bit.

"Here." Mina came up from behind, putting a small dark green cape around her shoulders. Annie noticed that the cape also had a hood. Mina fastened the garment around her neck, standing back to look at her work. A smile slowly appeared on her face.

"Annie, you look great. No, you look _gorgeous_. This Eren guy is a lucky man and must've had a _lot_ of stones to ask you to accompany him."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Don't be like that Annie. Now, please twirl for me."

Annie looked at herself one last time before picking up two sides of her dress and slowly twirling until she was facing herself in the mirror again.

Mina nodded, "Okay, now have you been practicing your curtsy?"

"Kinda."

"Well, show me."

Annie picked up two sides of her dress again, crossed her legs and bent them, bowing slightly.

Mina did a slight quick clap before picking up the candle lantern and giving it to Annie, "Come on, let's go. Your knight in shining armor awaits."

Mina led Annie to the practice area, and gave her one last look. She checked everything, from the hair, to the dress, to the bodice, refastening it, and lastly checked to make sure her makeup was correct.

Mina was about to leave when they heard a horse galloping. Mina smiled at Annie and gave her one last hug before running off into the brush, probably staying there to watch.

Annie put out the candle lantern and laid it on the ground, keeping in mind to get it back on the way home.

The galloping became louder and louder until the familiar brown horse burst out from behind the trees with Eren, dressed in formal wear, riding on top. He got the horse to stop in front of Annie. He nodded to her and smiled, holding out a hand to help her on, "My Lady."

Annie couldn't help but smile and blush as she curtsied and accepted his hand. He gently pulled her on, taking her hands and wrapping them around his chest, "Hold on tight." He said before nudging the horse to get it speeding back to Shiganshima.

As they rode, Annie saw the trees as they rushed past, which was a beautiful sight with the lighting. She pulled herself into Eren, resting her head on his back, hearing his breathing and his heart beat. She could feel his warmth, and closed her eyes to savor the moment.

Eren noticed this and smiled, seeing the lights of the festival in sight as the sun began to disappear behind the horizon. He focused on those lights and nudged Rogue to move a little faster.

Captain Levi stood in his black doublet, the collar open with his frill hanging out, and looked at the festival as people walked from here to there, eating this and that, drinking this and that. The various forms of entertainment were scattered about. The small man looked to the side to see his date, dressed in a black gown, an alchemist known as Hange Zoe, who he had found a fondness for. She looked down at him and smiled, "Come on Levi, let's go."

Levi nodded, walking along the path of the festival, "Do you happen to see my student? He said he would be here."

Hange looked around, "No, I don't, but I am sure he will be here soon. Hey, isn't that his adopted sister?"

Levi looked to where Hange was pointing to see the Asian girl with a horse faced man, "Thank you, let's ask her."

"I don't think it's that good." Mikasa said, passing the pastry back to Jean, who took a bite, "Yeah, I guess you're right. It's more bitter than sweet." He said.

Mikasa spotted Levi and Hange walking their way, "Jean, heads up."

Jean looked ahead to spot the captain, "Oh, hello, sir."

Levi nodded to Jean, "Hello Jean," He turned his head to Mikasa, "Do you know where your brother is?"

Mikasa nodded, looking off in the distance, "He is coming right now."

The sound of distant galloping grew louder and louder as a brown horse sped through the festival, heading to the stables. Levi could only spot Eren body speed by in a blur, with another figure hanging on to him.

Levi crossed his arms, his blank face giving nothing away, "I guess we will wait for him and his date to get here."

Mikasa nodded, "I am gonna go meet him at the stables. Come on, Jean." She said, getting up and waiting for her date to hook his arm around hers.

"You got it." Jean said, hooking his arm around hers and leading her to the stables.

Eren saw the figures of his friends pass by as Rogue dashed past them to the stables. Eren slowed the horse down, led Rogue into a stable and pulled the reins to stop. Getting off first, he held his hand out to help Annie down, as he was told to do by his sister. Annie accepted his hand and got off the horse.

Eren looked into her blue orbs as he locked the stable door, "Is this your first time to a festival?"

Annie looked to the side, thinking, "No. When I was younger, my mother used to bring me to the harvest festivals around Sina. They were...a lot of fun."

Eren finished locking the door, and turned to Annie, holding his arm out for her. She smirked and hooked her arm with Eren's. They exited the stables just as Mikasa and Jean arrived to greet them.

"Hello Eren. Welcome to the Maria Midsummer Festival, Annie." Mikasa smiled at her brother's date.

Annie smiled back, "Thank you." She turned her head to Jean, "And you must be Jean. Eren has told me about you."

Jean glanced at Eren before turning his eyes back to Annie, "Good things?"

Annie glanced at Eren, who glanced back, "Uh...yeah...good things."

Mikasa looked back to the festival, "Levi is looking for you, Eren. We can lead you to him."

Eren looked at the festival, "Uhh, yeah, sure, go ahead."

Mikasa nodded and she, along with Jean, led Eren and Annie through the festival. Annie kept herself close to Eren as she looked around at the unfamiliar environment. They passed by fire dancers, music players, dancers, actors on stages reenacting old folk tales, and a huge pile of wood and coins.

Annie nudged Eren, who turned to her, "What?"

Annie pointed to the mountain of wood, "What is that for?"

Eren looked and smirked, "I will explain later." He said, looking ahead he used his free arm to wave, "Hey, Levi!"

Annie looked ahead to see a man slightly taller than her walking towards them with a woman much taller than him. As he got close, his eyes glided over Eren and Annie, staying on the latter, "Hello Eren. Who is this young lady?"

Eren smiled, "This is Annie Leonhardt."

Levi nodded to Annie, "Welcome to the festival, Ms. Leonhardt, I hope you enjoy yourself."

Annie smiled, nodding, "Thank you."

Levi looked back to Eren, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to. I will see you at the _Sonnenwende_."

Eren nodded, "See you there, Levi."

And with that, Levi and his date walked away, leaving the two couples alone.

Annie turned to Eren, "_Sonnenwende?_"

Eren gestured to a stand, leading her to it, "It's a tradition we do in Maria. All of the cities and towns set up huge bonfires of wood and coins, the latter collected by the youth, and at the end of the night, we set it aflame and dance around it, and do _hanslverbrennen_, or throw straw dolls into it. Every year we pick one town to begin the _Sonnenwende_, and this year, it's us. The reason we do it is because it is said that it frightens off evil spirits that cause illness and harm livestock. It also averts storms."

As they approached the stand, Eren grabbed a wreath with white ribbons and placed it on Annie's head, "There."

Annie's eyes glanced up at the wreath on her head. She turned her head down and gave a small smile, "Um...thank you, Eren."

Eren smiled, "It's nothing. We still have time until the _Sonnenwende_, so we should eat, maybe listen to some stories."

Annie looked off to the side and nodded, "Yeah, sounds great."

The food was great, and afterwards, the couple, along with Mikasa and Jean sat around the stage to listen to some old folk tales. Among them were adults and children, all interested to hear a new story or listen to one they have already heard.

The old man sat on the stage, his eyes scanning the faces of those who have decided to listen to him. When he was satisfied, he inhaled and began, "The story you are about to hear was passed down to me by my father, who got it from his father, who was a witness to this very event.

"There once was a castle that lay on a cliff called Rheinstein Castle, and a knight lived there named Diethelm. He was a robber baron, and found himself a charming maiden, Jutta, from one of his expeditions. His time with this maiden changed the old knight, turning him into a noble knight, and they were married.

"Their first child, a girl, Gerda, was born. Unfortunately, Jutta did not survive the birth. As Gerda grew, her looks became more and more like her mother, and soon wooers from all over came to try their luck in asking her hand. Her father, the old knight, was strict, and denied these wooers from marrying his daughter. Then came one young man named Helmbrecht, who the maiden fancied, and the father did not look unkindly onto him. Soon enough, the young couple fell in love."

While the man spoke the story, Annie leaned closer and closer to Eren, eventually resting her head on his shoulder. He looked over and smiled, then focused back to the story.

"According to the customs of the court at the time, the young man appointed his uncle Gunzelin of Reichenstein to woo his love. Little did young Helmbrecht know that he made a mistake, as his uncle was full of lies. He did not woo the young woman for his nephew, and instead got Diethelm to make Gerda his bride. But the young woman's heart belonged to the nephew, and so she refused. This angered the old knight, and he swore that the young man will never become her husband. Again and again she tried to get her father to change his mind, but he did not.

"When the day had come, Gunzelin was ready to lead his maiden to his castle. Gerda had no choice. And so there she was, sitting on a white palfrey, thinking of the one she should be wedding.

"Then, a group of gadflies came out of the bush and landed on the palfrey that young Gerda sat upon. The horse reared and broke from the procession. The groom, Gunzelin, attempted to speed after the horse on his war horse to try and check on the frightened animal, but the war horse missed it's footing and fell over a precipice, it's master going down with it. The dying uncle was brought back to the castle. Diethelm also tried to stop the pelfrey, but he was instead struck on the shinbone, wounding him.

"As the runaway horse disappeared around a bend of the path, a man, Helmbrecht, hidden in the bush, threw himself on the horse, and brought it to a halt. He grasped the unconscious bride in his arms.

"When the old knight had heard of this, he gave the marriage of Gerda and Helmbrecht his blessing. Weeks later, a new procession advanced from the chapel up to the castle. Trumpets were blown and horns were sounded. This was much more joyful than the previous one. The musicians marched in front. On a milkwhite palfrey sat the maiden ready to be wed. Her head was bent as she listened to what the youthful knight whispered in her ear.

"Life afterwards for the two was blissful, and the pair had a long and happy life."

As the man finished, the crowd clapped and voiced their thoughts on the story. Eren looked to Annie, who was smiling as she looked back to him. Eren smiled and leaned his head on hers.

Afterwards, the man told a story about a witch named Lutzelfrau, who gave gifts to children. Another he told about Three Wood-Fairies that were protected by a kaiser. He finished with a story about a maiden who hid in the water in the day, and climb on a high rock and sing at night.

After they finished listening to stories, it was time to start the _Sonnenwende_. Eren led Annie to the pile of wood and coins where everyone in town gathered. Levi stood in front with a torch in his hand. He got a wooden crate to stand on to be seen.

"As you all know, every year the kingdom of Maria celebrates the Midsummer Festival. And as a tradition, we get the young ones to collect wood and money to put into a pile. This was so we can do the _Sonnenwende_, where we light this bonfire to keep the evil spirits away, and keep storms from causing destruction. Every town and village in Maria is doing so as well, but someone needs to start it.

"We have been chosen to start the fire for this year. As soon as we light this fire, it will start a chain reaction, where the other towns and villages proceed to light their fires. Afterwards, we shall drink wine, dance, and throw straw dolls into the fire. Shall we begin?"

As he asked the question, everyone in the crowd cheered for him to start it. Levi nodded and got off of the crate. He brought the torch close to the pile and lit it. The flame traveled up and around, spreading until every inch was covered in flames. The crowd stood back and admired the flames. Eren's and Annie's eyes lit up as they reflected the bright light.

Then their attention was directed off to the distance. All was silent except for the cracking and snapping of the flames. Time seemed to have slowed down, making the wait painful. Everyone's eyes shown with anticipation.

Suddenly, a small light flickered in the distance, then flew up as the bonfire in the nearest village was lit. Then another was lit, then another. The crowd cheered and began to make room.

Soon after, the musicians started to play, the crowd began to move, and the wine was passed around as the celebration began. Eren and Annie sat down next to Jean and Mikasa, enjoying the wine they were given as they watched the people dance and laughed to the stories they told.

Eventually, Jean stood up and asked Mikasa for a dance. She graciously accepted and took his hand, then they joined the others, moving along with the flow in almost perfect synchronization.

Eren watched as his friends danced together. Connie and Sasha, Ymir and Historia, Levi and Hange, and Oluo and Petra. He looked over to Annie, who looked back. He stood up and offered his hand to Annie, "Annie Leonhardt, will you have this dance with me on this night?"

Annie looked up at Eren, then looked at his hand. She smiled and grabbed his hand, "I will."

Eren smiled and pulled her up, leading her to an open spot and placed his free hand under her shoulder while she placed her hand above his. They stuck their interlocked hands out, pushed their chests together and began moving their feet in rhythm with everyone else. It was an enjoyable experience for both Eren and Annie. The two kept their eyes on each other, trusting each other with the dance. Eren then decided to twirl her, and she did the last half of the action, twirling around and ending up back into step with Eren. They were perfect. If only it could last forever.

After the dance, Eren decided it was time to go. He grabbed Annie's cape and led her back to the forest. At times they looked at each other and smiled, then continued on. Eventually, they stepped out into the practice area.

They stopped at the big tree, where Annie turned to Eren, "That was...great. Thank you for inviting me."

Eren nodded, "It was my pleasure. It would have been awkward if you weren't with me. I had no one else to ask."

Annie smirked, "Well, next festival, don't be afraid to ask again. I will keep an ear out for any festivals I hear of."

Eren nodded, "Okay."

For a moment they stood there in awkward silence, listening to the animals of the night.

Eren inhaled, "Well...I guess this is goodnight."

Annie nodded, "...Yup..."

They stood there again in silence, trying to not stare at each other. Eventually, Eren glanced over to Annie, who glanced over at the same time. Their eyes locked and stayed that way. They both knew there was only one way to say goodnight.

Eren gently but quickly pushed Annie up against the tree, leaning in close to her, supporting himself against the tree. Annie looked into Eren's eyes and nodded, closing her eyes. Eren hesitated before closing his eyes and leaning in. Eventually he felt his lips touch hers. Instantly the built up emotions within both of them exploded out. She wrapped her hands loosely around his neck and pulled him in closer. For both of them, the sensation was something they have never felt before. Eren undid Annie's bun, her medium length hair falling to her shoulders. Annie ran her fingers through Eren's hair, messing up the hard work Mikasa did to make it look good. The wreath on Annie's head tipped backward slightly as she was forced to bend her head up to meet Eren's kiss.

To Eren, it felt like the kiss lasted for hours, when in reality, it was twenty seconds. When they let go, they stood back, fixed their hair as best as they could, which was not that well, considering the circumstances.

They smiled, muttered their goodbyes, and ran in opposite directions towards their towns.

A/N: The stories spoken by the old man in this chapter were not created by me, I got them off of a website. So yeah, I hope you guys enjoyed. Remember to comment if you guys find something wrong.


	8. Kiss

A/N: School has started for me so these will be coming out later in the day than usual. Sorry!

**Chapter 8: Kiss**

Eren dodged under the low hanging branch as he ran home. He just had his first kiss! _His _first kiss! And to him, it was amazing. He always thought it would be super awkward the first time, but that was great! He wondered what it will be like the second time. That is, if they ever do a second time. But he hoped they would. Soon. Very soon.

He bursted from the forest, seeing the people cleaning up the scraps from the festival. He ran past them, down the path out of town. Closer and closer he came to home, the lights still on. He climbed up the steps to their home and opened the door, closing it behind himself, "Mikasa?"

"I'll be down." He could hear her call from upstairs.

Mikasa walked down the stairs, barefoot, putting on a more comfortable dress, and fixing her hair. Eren was taking off his doublet, showing his tan shirt underneath, and took off his shoes.

Mikasa looked at him, "How was the festival for you?"

Eren nodded, "Good, good."

"Did you have a fun time with Annie?"

"Uh, yeah...yeah I did."

"That's good." She said, walking over and looking at him, head to toe.

Eren found this weird, "What?"

Mikasa narrowed her eyes, she reached up to feel his hair, raking her fingers through his dark brown hair, "Your hair is messy, and it was fine when we last saw you...you kissed her."

"You got that from my hair."

"Unless you decided to randomly mess up your hair in the forest, yeah."

Eren frowned and turned around to fix his hair out of the view of his sister. Mikasa tapped three times on the floor, and a half naked Jean silently hurried down the stairs, past her, and out the door.

Eren turned back to her, "How is it now?" He asked.

She nodded, "You look good now."

Eren smiled, and noticed the door was open, "Could've sworn I closed it." He said, walking over, peering outside a bit, and closing the door.

"So how was it?"

Eren turned around, "What?"

Mikasa pulled a chair out from under the table and sat down, resting her head on her hands, giving him a curious look, "The kiss. How was it?"

Eren walked over and sat down as well, "It was...well...it was nothing I have ever felt before. It was perfect, I didn't mess up like I thought I would. But it must've been her first time as well. Afterwards, we said goodnight and I ran back here."

"Were you hoping to tell me?"

"Maybe."

"Eren."

"Yes."

Mikasa leaned back in the chair, "Good for you Eren. I saw you two dancing during the _Sonnenwende_, you both seemed to really be in step with each other. It was almost like...you were meant for each other."

Eren gave a short laugh, "I don't know, Mikasa, we only went out once. So we can't really confirm it yet."

"Well don't be surprised if you see her walking down the aisle towards you soon."

"Come on, Mikasa. We cannot even think about that."

"Do you still have mother's ring?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Good."

"We should be more focused on you and Jean, you guys were together longer than Annie and I. When do you think he will propose?"

"I don't know, but hopefully soon, I wouldn't mind being Mrs. Kirschtein."

"He better treat you right, or else Annie and I will kick his ass."

"I can kick his ass on my own, so don't worry about it."

Eren nodded and they both laughed. The two siblings afterward sat in silence. Eren looked off to the side, not expecting the next question.

"Did you grab her breast?"

Eren's head snapped to his sister, a incredulous look on his face, "What?"

"Her breast. Did you grab it?"

"No, I kept my hands above her."

"Good, like a gentleman."

"Yeah. I am not like that Mikasa."

"I would not be surprised if you were."

"Thanks for your confidence in me."

"My pleasure."

Eren got up from his seat, "Yeah, well I am gonna go to sleep. Goodnight."

Mikasa gave him a smile, "Goodnight."

Eren gave a smile back before climbing the stairs up to his room. He jumped into bed and turned over to look at the ceiling, thinking about the girl he kissed that night. He never thought he would see Annie like that. He doubt she would stay like that, and he hopes she does not. She is a unique girl; she is tough, smart, skilled, and friendly when she wants to be. She has shown who she was when she let herself go and relaxed that night, and while he liked that side of her, he also loved that kickass side of her.

Eventually, sleep took over him.

Annie ran through the forest, holding the two sides of her dress as she sped past the trees. _I hate this dress. It leaves me so vulnerable and encumbers me_, she thought to herself. Her hair was not in a bun, so it swung around wildly, something she was not used to. Though she did have to admit, she looked beautiful in it. And beautiful is not a word she throws around often. And being cared for by Eren instead of caring for herself made her feel more beautiful. It was a magnificent experience for her.

Annie ran into Stohess, attempting to sprint instantly to her house. She opened the door and closed it behind herself, breathing heavily from having to run in a dress. She relaxed and walked over to the table, where she pulled out a chair and sat down in it, exhaling. She reached around her back and undid the strings on her bodice, allowing her whole body to breath, "Oh sweet Sina." She exclaimed.

She heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Annie reached down and pulled a knife out from her leg strap, getting it ready. Then she heard the voice.

"Annie?"

Annie sighed in relief, putting the knife back, "Yes, Mina, it's me."

Mina hurried down the stairs, speeding to Annie, "How was the festival?! How did he treat you?! Did you dance?! Awww, nice wreath, did he give you it?!"

"Mina! Calm down. One question at a time."

Mina got a chair and set it in front of Annie, she sat down, "How was the festival?"

Annie nodded, "It was great. I got to meet all of his friends and we listened to stories and then we set a huge bonfire and danced for a long time. The food tasted great."

Mina nodded, "How did he treat you?"

Annie smirked, looking down and messing with the fabric of her dress, "Like a woman. He was kind and always asked for my hand when he wanted to do something. And he was a good dancer too."

Mina smiled, "Did he give you the wreath?"

Annie took the wreath off and looked at it, she smiled, "Yes. He took one and placed it on my head."

"It looks great on you."

"Thanks."

It was until Mina looked at her hair that she noticed, "Annie, you undid your bun, and your hair is a bit...messy."

"I did?" Annie felt her hair, "Oh...yeah...I guess I did."

Mina gave her a huge smile.

Annie looked at her and cocked an eyebrow, "What?"

Mina gave her a knowing look, "You kissed him."

Annie looked slightly down, not saying anything, her eyes darting from the wreath in her hands to Mina.

Mina's smile somehow grew wider, "You kissed! You kissed! Oh sweet Sina, you, Annie Leonhardt, kissed a boy! It is about time...seriously. Annie finally kissed a boy. You have to tell me about it. Where was it? How was it? Was he good? Was it his first time? How did he do it?"

"Again Mina, one at a fucking time."

"Where was it?"

"It was in the place you left me, by the big tree."

"How was it?"

Annie's face flushed and she turned her head down, "It was...something I have not felt before. It was like something exploded in me. It made me put more passion into it, it made me pull him in closer. I don't know why, I just wanted more. And when it ended, my legs felt weak."

Mina bounced a bit in her seat, "Awww, that's so cute. And I hope you know that when you got picked up by him, I didn't get a good look, but he looked cute."

Annie shook her head, "Oh, just stop Mina! Now your next question?"

"Was he good?"

Annie smirked, "Yes. But I knew it was both our first time, but he seemed to be training or something. He was good, yes."

"How did he do it?"

"It was after the dance, we ran back to the big tree. We were about to say goodbye, but then he pushed me, gently, against the tree and leaned in to kiss me. It felt like it was forever, but afterwards, we said our goodbyes and we ran back home. And now here I am."

"Annie, that sounds so romantic. I think you are perfect for each other. Hey Ann...you hear the wedding bells?"

Annie gave her the bored look, "No I don't, at least not yet. We only kissed one time. Come on Mina, don't be so ridiculous. You never even met him."

"Did he grab your boob?"

Annie stared wide eyed at Mina, "What?"

"Your boob. Did he grab it?"

"No. I-I mean," She felt her breasts through her bodice, "No, he didn't."

Mina looked disappointed, "Aww...well."

"I told you he wasn't that kind of guy."

"Well sorry if I had assumed. The first guy I had grabbed my boob."

"That is because that was Reiner...and he was drunk."

"Oh yeah…"

"You were drunk too."

"Yeah…"

"If my memory serves me right, you even asked him, 'Want to touch my tit?'."

"I did?"

"Yeah."

"Well...that's embarrassing."

"Shutup Mina."

Mina frowned at her friend, but like a dog, was back to normal a minute later, "So how was the dress? Did he like it?"

Annie placed the wreath on the table smoothed out her dress, looking at it, "I...uh...I liked it. It made me feel like a woman, and I guess that is something I have not known I wanted. And I think he liked it too, seeing some tough girl like me allow a little femininity out."

Mina smiled, "Awww, Annie, it is good to hear that out of you."

Annie shook her head, "Yeah, but I am not gonna change from who I really am to a...maiden. That's not me. And I hope he understands that fact."

Mina smirked, "You two have been fighting for how long? Yeah, he is going to understand that you want to be treated as an equal to him."

Annie stood up, holding onto the dress to keep it from falling, "Anyway, I am going to go to bed. You staying over?"

Mina nodded, "You still have the guest room?"

"Yeah. Same place, next to my room." Annie said as she began to walk up the stairs.

"Okay, well I will probably stay up a bit. Goodnight, Annie. Sleep tight."

Mina saw Annie smirk before she reached the top of the stairs, "Don't let the bedbugs bite." Mina heard her say.

Mina looked at the wreath on the table. She grabbed it to examine, turning it in her hand. She wrapped her fingers around one of the ribbons and pulled on it, smiling before putting it on her head, imagining what the festival was like.

In her room, Annie took off the dress and put on her white trousers and pullover jacket. She blew out her candle, shrouding the room in darkness, and got into bed, her eyes staring up at the hanging dress. Not long after she closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.

It was Reiner's and Bertholdt's turn to check the perimeter of Stohess for the night. The town could never be too careful with security. Bertholdt held the lantern out as he looked ahead into the forest. He heard Reiner behind him.

"So where do you think Annie was tonight?"

Bertholdt turned his head to Reiner, he shrugged, "Wherever she was, it probably has a lot to do with her walking out to the forest. You think she is meeting some person out there?"

"We won't know unless we follow her, now will we?"

"That would be an invasion of her privacy."

"Why would we give a shit?"

"Well, I give a shit, I have respected her since we first met."

"Don't you have a crush on her?"

Bertholdt shook his head, "Shut up, Reiner, I did not."

Reiner raised his lantern to look at Bertholdt as they walked, "She could be talking with the enemy?"

Bertholdt sighed, "What enemy? All three kingdoms haven't fought each other for decades."

"I don't know...I still don't like it."

"You don't have to like it, you just have to respect it. If you don't, she will kick your ass."

"Her father told us to look after her."

"She can look after herself. And besides, that does not mean we interfere with her private life."

"Why don't we follow her tomorrow. Be careful, stay far away, then find out what she is up to."

"No, let's not do that, okay Reiner? You can do it, see what happens, I won't go."

"...Okay, fine, I guess we won't go."

"Thank you." Bertholdt said, keep his lantern out, he began to think of his plan to find out what Annie is up to by himself tomorrow. He would need to be careful.

Reiner nudged his friend, "Come on, let's finish."

Bertholdt snapped his head to Reiner and nodded, "Uh, yeah...let's."

A/N: Like usual, comment if you believe something is wrong. Thank you for reading!


	9. Friends

A/N: This is probably one of the shorter chapters. It's got some funny and cute moments. Sorry if it's too short for you guys. Enjoy!

**Chapter 9: Friends**

Eren's foot caught a root on his way to the practice area, sending him straight to the ground, "Shit!" He cursed, getting up, picking the bag of wooden swords off of the ground, and dusting himself off before running on to the area. He has been getting distracted while running through the forest. His mind just could not stop thinking about the girl who he kissed last night. He kept reimagining her lips meeting his, her fingers raking through his hair, being pulled into her to make it more think a girl-no, a young woman, like her would be so tough while also being so lovely. Whenever he thought about her, his heart got warmer and warmer.

His eyes saw the the big tree in sight, he picked up the speed and bursted out from the trees and into the practice area. He noticed Annie leaning against the tree in her regular gear with the bag of his gear next to her, her hood up. He did not notice the girl with black hair in loose pigtails sneaking up next to him until he turned and saw her right in front of him.

"Ahh!" Eren shrieked, jumping back only to trip over his own foot, sending him back to the ground, "Fuck." He cursed again, looking up at the girl. She was giggling.

"Who are you?" He asked with an incredulous look.

The girl stopped giggling and walked over to him, holding a hand out. He took it, getting up with her help. She smiled and looked to Annie, who was already walking over, pulling her hood back, her hair already in the bun he thought looked great on her. She gave Eren a gracious smile, obviously remembering the moment they had shared last night, before turning to Mina, "Eren, this is my friend, Mina. She insisted she'd come with me."

Eren looked back to Mina, who was circling him, observing him nonchalantly. After a moment, she stopped and looked to Annie, "Ann, this is one hot box of rocks."

Eren cocked an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

Mina ignored the confused brunette, "His eyes shine against the sunlight, making it seem like gems are there instead. His figure is perfect, his posture uncanny, his muscles are well toned and defined. I never thought your first boyfriend would be this...perfect for you."

Eren looked to Annie, confused. She just gave a face that said _Don't ask, she does this_. Eren nodded, looking back to Mina.

Annie stepped in, "Well, now that you have seen him, you can go."

Mina turned to her friend and shook her head, "Oh no, I am not going just yet. I want to watch you two lovebirds practice." She said, jogging over to a fallen log and sitting down on it, crossing one leg over the other.

Annie gestured for him to follow as she walked to the bag of gear. Eren stood straight as the blonde began to fasten the armor to his doublet. As she fastened on his chest plate, she pushed herself on her toes a bit to brush her lips against his. A smile appeared on both of their lips at the subtle touch. Mina didn't seem to notice, so Annie continued to fasten his armor on without annoyance.

Once Annie fastened the last part of his armor, she picked up a sword and tossed the other to Eren. He caught it and got into stance, keeping his eyes on her, as Annie did the same. Eren saw that any thoughts of last night were gone, and now she was on full attack mode. Eren couldn't help but smirk at this, because that is exactly how he wanted this to be.

Eren stepped in and swung at her right leg.

Annie backstepped, jumping back in to thrust into his chest.

Eren blocked it out of the way while leaning away from it to the right. After he blocked, he swung for her neck.

Annie brought her sword up, the tip pointed downward, to block his strike. Then she spun and tried to hit his waist.

Eren backstepped, missing it, and dove in, swinging for her head.

Annie dodged under Eren's blade and smashed her pommel against his stomach, sending him reeling back and eventually onto the ground.

Eren grunted as he hit the ground, shaking his head and looking up to see the tip of a wooden sword pointed at his face.  
"Work on your reflexes, and try something new, like a feint, or grabbing my wrist."

Eren saw her hand extended out to help him up. He took it and was pulled up, "Yeah, yeah, I will. Thanks."

Mina began to clap, "That was good. I could sense the chemistry between you two as you fought."

Annie rolled her eyes, a movement only Eren could see. He had to force himself not to laugh.

"Mina, maybe you should try focusing on things other than people's love lives. For instance, _your_ love life."

Mina smirked and shrugged, walking over to the two "That is something I do not need to worry about for some time."

"Then why worry about me?"

"Because you are so emotionless and shallow that you turn down every boy that doesn't stay persistent," She switched her sight to Eren, "I am guessing you were begging?"

Eren gave her a look, "No…" He then thought back on the time he asked her to go to the festival with him, "...Maybe a little."

Mina crossed her arms and looked at Annie, "Anything to say, Annie?"

Annie nodded, her face remaining emotionless, "Yeah. You need to go."

Mina pouted, "What? Why?"

Annie put her hands on her hips, "Because you are a distraction to both Eren and I."

Mina looked down, "Fine." She said, turning around and trudging back home.

Annie kept her eyes on her until Mina disappeared, then she dropped her sword and turned to Eren. Grabbing both sides of his collar, she pushed him against the tree and locked lips with him. Eren accepted her without hesitation, dropping his sword and wrapping his fingers around her waist, he pushed his lips against hers like it was a month since they kissed when it was only a day. Their chest plates banged against each other as they pushed their bodies the same way.

Annie pushed herself away, "I should get that armor off of you. Mina will be wanting me to come home early, or else she will get suspicious." She said, unfastening his armor while at some points leaning up to kiss him. Eren smiled as she did so.

When Annie finished, she gave Eren one last kiss before picking up her bag and turning around to go home, "Bye Eren. I will see you later."

Eren waved her goodbye, "Yeah...see you later."

Eren waited until Annie disappeared from view. He picked up the swords, placed them in the bag, and walked the other way. He could still feel the touch of her lips on his lingering. He felt like a happy man...teenager...whatever.

Eren was so happy that he almost didn't notice the tall warrior hidden in the trees above him. Luckily, Eren's hearing wasn't silenced by the bliss, so he heard the branch creak. He stopped for a second then rolled out of the way as a tall figure pounced and landed where Eren previously was. Eren pulled a wooden sword out of the bag and aimed it at the man.

The man was tall, very tall, and a hood was pulled over his head. He was wearing the same gear as Annie, and held a dagger in his hand.

Eren didn't take a step from his position, "Who are you?"

The man kept the dagger out, and kept silent.

Eren narrowed his eyes at the man, "I know where you're from. Stohess, Sina. The clothing you wear tells me. I am guessing you know Annie Leonhardt?"

The man stopped. He straightened his posture and pulled his hood down, showing a young man with brunette hair, "I am her friend. My name is Bertholdt Hoover."

Eren cocked an eyebrow, "So why are you here?"

"To warn you."

"Warn me?"

"Annie is a very special friend to me, I have known her since we were children. She has never been in a relationship with anyone, and I know since I have been watching you two with Mina."

"So what are you here to warn me about?"

Bertholdt got close to Eren, shadowing him, he bent down to meet him face to face, "If you ever hurt her, physically or emotionally, I will hunt you down, and kill you. Do you understand?"

Eren glared at the taller boy, he slowly nodded, "Yeah...yeah, I understand."

Bertholdt nodded before climbing up the tree and swinging away without saying a word.

Eren kept his eye on the boy until he left. He took a breath and checked one more time for Bertholdt before continuing on home. Along the way, he started to think more about Stohess and the people there. What has he gotten himself into?

A/N: If anything is wrong, please comment on it. Thank you for reading!


	10. Calm

A/N: This is another short chapter. I am sorry. Also there is a little smut in here.

**Chapter 10: Calm**

Over the month that passed, Eren and Annie have grown closer as a couple. The time they stayed with each other after practice became longer. Their kisses have went on for minutes, their stares the same. Annie was even invited to come to Eren's house for dinner at times, and she has accepted a few times. She even was able to fight Mikasa once. No one won, as they were both tired by the end of it. For Eren and Annie, life has been going great.

"You are doing great, Jaeger!" Annie encouraged as she dove in to thrust at his chest.

Eren dodged out of the way, then swung at her right arm, "Thanks to you!"

Annie blocked the strike and feinted to his right, striking for his left, "Don't let it get to your head! Confidence is the number one killer of knights."

Eren blocked and pushed himself in close to her, his blade against her throat, and his smirking face close to her face, "Then I'll make sure to tone it down for war."

Annie smirked as well, as the tip of her blade was prodding into his chin.

Eren smiled before closing the gap between their faces, his lips connecting to hers. They both dropped their swords simultaneously to wrap their arms around each other, holding each other in embrace for this passionate moment. Their chest plates banged together, the noise echoing among the trees. Eren could feel Annie's lips curl up into a smile as they kissed.

Eren slightly pulled away, gesturing to the tree, "Come on. Let's sit down."

Annie nodded, being led to the tree by Eren, who sat down first so that Annie could sit in between his legs. Eren wrapped his arms around her, and she rested her arms on his, leaning her head back onto his chest. After a moment she turned her head to place it on his chest so that she could listen to his heart beat inside his rib cage. The noise calmed her and made her feel at peace. She closed her eyes, feeling his warmth envelope her.

While usually she is the tough one, she allows herself moments of weakness, and only with Eren. Ever since the festival, she loved to be treated like a woman at times. She loved to be the maiden of a handsome and skilled knight. Especially if she was the reason that knight was skilled.

Eren nudged her, "Annie...look." He whispered to her.

Annie slowly opened her eyes, looking up to see Eren smiling at something in the distance. She looked ahead to see the source of said smile, smiling herself at it. A deer family was stopping to eat some of the greens. The child looked over to them, it's eyes curious of who these two lovebirds were. Eren and Annie kept silent until the family eventually ran away.

"Beautiful." Annie muttered to herself, always loving to see nature. She used to climb in trees and wait for hours to watch the animals of the forest go about their business.

Eren kissed the top of Annie's head, "What do you think our children will look like?"

Annie tilted her head up in surprise, "Huh?"

Eren looked down at her, kind of panicked, "Uh-I...mean...i-if you want to...have children I mean…"

Annie looked down in thought. This was something that never really came to mind because she never had a person she loved enough to consider a mate. But now that the topic has been brought up, she knew her answer.

"Yeah, I do."

"Well, what do you think they will look like?"

Annie smiled at the thought of their children, "Well, if we are going to talk about our children...I hope they have your nose."

Eren gave a funny look, "Why? Your nose is beautiful."

"No it's not. You have a better nose."

"Well I hope our children have the nose of their beautiful mother."

"I don't."

"Green or blue eyes?"

"What if it was a combination of both?"

"Even better."

Annie turned her head to rest it against Eren's chest again, "Whatever happens, we will love our children. Which means we won't give them stupid names."

"Of course we will love our children, no matter what." He said, laughing at her second comment, "What...what is a stupid name to you?"

"For boys, I would say that Adolf, Meinhard and Norbert are not so good. And for girls, I think that Gertrude, Adelheid, and Konstanze are...really ugly."

"What are good ones for you?"

"Well, for boys, I believe that Benjamin, Alexander, and Nikolaus are winners. And for girls, the best ones that come to mind are Lara, Amelia… and, uh...Karla."

She could feel Eren's heart skip a beat.

"My mother?"

"Yeah, I think it would be beautiful to give our daughter her name."

Eren thought about it, then nodded, "Yeah, yeah, that would be great."

Annie put a finger on his shoulder, "But of course, before we even decide to have children, we need to get married. My father would kick your ass if he found out I didn't have a ring on my finger and we had sex, even if he knew."

"Yeah, of course. When are you going to tell him?"

"Whenever he decides to come home. I am guessing everyone you know has been bugging you about marriage?"

"Everyone except Levi, thankfully."

"Even Mikasa?"

"Yep."

"Mina has been annoying me endlessly. 'When do you think he is going to pop the question?' or 'What kind of ring do you think he will give you?'"

"Yeah, it is annoying." Eren said, reaching into his pocket to feel his mother's ring in his grasp. He has actually been thinking of asking her, but kept on getting nervous every time. He needs to push himself like when he asked her to the festival. Eren was actually tempted to ask her here. He shook his head and put it back. It's not time yet.

Annie turned around to face Eren, her eyes trained on him. In this light, her face was completely stripped of toughness. Her eyes were wide, curious, and begging. Her mouth was inviting. Her whole face was waiting for him to act. She was weakening him with this innocent look of hers. He knew exactly what she wanted.

Eren leaned in to her, connecting his lips with hers in passion. Annie raked her fingers through Eren's hair while Eren kept his hands on her waist, but they slowly crawled their way up her body. Eren could feel Annie's hands unfastening his armor, piece by piece they fell off. Eren did the same with her, tossing aside her armor as well. Eren undid her cloak, letting it fly off her and land in the grass not too far.

Annie pushed herself onto her back, allowing Eren to get on all fours above her, their lips not leaving each other for a moment. Eren's hands gripped her shoulders, slowly sliding down her body, feeling her up, and stopping at her thighs. His hands began to slide back up, gripping her breast through her arming pullover doublet, causing her to moan faintly, before moving up and over her shoulders.

Annie's hands reached down to unfasten Eren's belt. Eren sensed this and his hands grabbed her wrists. Their kissing ceased as they looked at each other.

Eren gulped, "Annie, trust me when I say I want to as well. But...we can't do this...not now."

Annie looked at him for a moment before nodding, "Yeah...right...of course...my apologies."

Eren shook his head, "No, please Ann, don't apologize." He pushed himself off of her, looking around at the pieces of armor that surrounded them, "Well, we got not only my armor off, but yours as well. Heat of the moment, I guess."

Annie got up, looking around, she chuckled, "Yeah, you're right. Anyway, I should get going. You did great, Eren...in both fields." She said as she gathered both of their armor pieces, putting them in her bag, she slung it over her shoulder, "See you tomorrow."

Eren gathered his swords, nodding to the girl, "Yeah, see you tomorrow. Love you."

Annie stopped in her tracks. She hesitated for a moment before muttering, "Love you too."

Eren turned towards his town and started in that direction. As he walked, stepping over stones and sticks, ducking under low hanging branches, he began to think about his future. His future with Annie. Hopefully it will be a prosperous one.

A/N: I hope I didn't make Annie out to be a slut (I did have them both get into it). Again I don't feel comfortable doing this. I might do smut in some other fanfic, when I am comfortable. My apologies.


	11. Storm

A/N: I will have to say, seeing all of the guesses of what the conflict might be were really interesting. And again, thank you all for your support.

**Chapter 11: Storm**

Two weeks later, the kingdom was still the same. Everything was in order. There was no threat of a war or hint of an invasion. In this time there are many marriages made, children born, and love started. If only times like these lasted forever.

Outside of Castle Maria, two guards stood outside the front gate, obviously bored from their job. They get off at around sundown, switching with the night shift guards. They honestly can _not _wait for that to happen.

The sound of galloping hooves woke them from nodding off. They looked off to the distance to see a messenger on a horse, speeding towards them, as if the message he carries is urgent. He stopped in front of them, breathing heavily, "I need to talk to Lord Reiss of Maria!"

One of the guards took a few steps toward him, "What be the message you carry?"

The messenger gave him a solemn look, he took a deep breath before letting it out.

"King Fritz is dead."

Levi stared at Lord Reiss, waiting for him to speak as the lord was looking at the message. In the meantime, he had a servant get him a cup of tea. He looked at the liquid, swirling it around, before bringing it up to his lips and sipping it. Immediately he cringed. It was foul. _How could the lord live with this?_ He didn't spit it out, instead he swallowed it down, putting the cup down on a table. If he spat it out, he would've made a bigger mess. And he hated messes.

His commander, Erwin, was a much bigger man who was sitting in another chair in the same room, his face always in the same expression: stern. He always kept calm in every situation, regardless of the circumstances. He is the man Levi respects the most.

The news of King Fritz's death didn't surprise him. The man never kept himself clean, he was prone to disease. What this meant for the kingdom of Mitras, and the three provinces within it, could be disastrous. King Fritz does not have an heir to the throne, which meant that there will be a war for it.

And war is a problem, it means the three provinces will hate each other, even after the war. It means people will die, cities will be raided, blood will be spilled. All for a chair that grants power to whoever sat on it. It was quite silly and foolish. At least, that was what Levi thought.

Lord Reiss finally turned his head up, addressing the two gentlemen in the room, speaking with the grace of a lord, "Commander Erwin, Captain Levi, welcome. As you both know, King Fritz has recently passed. Unfortunately, he produced no heir for the throne. This provides us the opportunity to obtain it, so that I may become king, and allow my daughter Historia to be the Lady of Maria and later on the Queen of Mitras. The province of Rose will be no problem for us. It is Sina that worries me. Erwin, what do you know about them?"

Erwin nodded, "Sina have their regular soldiers, but they have an elite division of their army called the Warriors. Soldiers trained in stealth tactics and combat since they were children. They are masters of reconnaissance and ambushing. But as for us, we have the best knights in Mitras, led by the most skilled knight in the land, Levi." He looked to his small companion, who shifted in his seat uncomfortably. Erwin looked back to Reiss, "We have just as much of a chance of winning as they do."

Reiss nodded, "Indeed. I trust both of you to win this war for me, my lordship is in your hands, of me, and my beautiful daughter."

Erwin stood up, he nodded, "Yes, my lord." He looked over to Levi, who stood up and nodded to Reiss, saying nothing. With no other words spoken, the two soldiers walked out of the room, leaving the lord to think alone.

The two stopped outside the door. They turned to each other, Erwin looked at his smaller friend, "Something is troubling you."

Levi looked up at him, "The tea was horrible."

Erwin gave a short laugh before shaking his head, "No, something else was troubling you, I noticed you shifting around in your seat, even when I was not addressing you. What ails you?"

Levi's face did not change emotions, but he slowly nodded, "My apprentice, Eren Jaeger. He has this girl he took with him to the festival, possibly a girlfriend, Annie Leonhardt."

Erwin's eyebrows twitched up slightly, "The daughter of the Captain of Sina's army?"

Levi nodded, "Yes. This war...I am going to have to tear them apart. It is not something I enjoy doing. Especially when I have began to respect Eren. He has become a great knight, and I am proud of him. And the thing is that he has gotten better ever since he met that girl. That girl is his encouragement, and I will be taking that away."

Erwin took this all in, slowly nodding, his expression blank, "Yes, I understand. But she is the enemy now, and could turn Eren against us. You must separate them. Now."

Levi nodded, walking past his superior and down the hall. He was wondering how Eren would react.

Nile Dok, commander of Sina's army, stood behind the chair, his arms resting on top of it, he looked at the two in the room with him. On his right, Lord Balto sat, drinking wine and eating pastries like the fat slob he is. On his left, Captain Leonhardt, a hardened man who leads their troops, but mostly has involvement with their Warriors division. With this war for the throne approaching, he will need them.

"I hope...that you are prepared...for this war." Balto said, chewing on some piece of cake. Leonhardt cringed at this behavior. Dok acknowledged this action and nodded, "We have trained soldiers and the Warriors ready for anything. I have no doubt that Maria has it's best knights prepared. Rose isn't the issue. Maria is."

Balto nodded, pouring more wine into his glass, "Yes, yes, indeed. What are your thoughts, Captain Leonhardt?"

The Captain shifted in his seat awkwardly, looking at Nile then back to Balto, "I think we can handle them. I have trained my Warriors since they were children. My own daughter is a Warrior, probably the best Warrior I have seen. I trust in them to win this war for us."

Balto smiled, "Sounds perfect, I trust both of you to win me this throne. You may go now!" He said, waving them away. The two left the room without speaking or looking at each other.

"Eren?"

"Hmm?"

"What...what do you like about me?"

Eren cocked an eyebrow at the girl in his arms, her head turned around to face him. They had decided that they would take some days off to relax, and then the day after they will be hard at practice. The boy was sitting down, leaning against the tree while Annie rested in his arms, her back pressed against his chest, turning her head to the side so that she could hear his heartbeat. From here, Eren could smell her, getting that forest scent from her hair that he loved so much. He decided to ask her for more details.

"W...what do you mean?"

"Well...you haven't really gone into detail over why you fancy me so much."

"Well, I mean...why do you ask?"

"I just want to know."

Eren sighed, nodding, "Okay, okay. Let me gather it all." He said, looking up at the trees in thought. Annie looked up at his thinking face, blinking occasionally.

Eren started to list off her qualities, "Well...I like the way you are tough but also kind in your own way. You're sarcastic and funny, and you are a great teacher. And...well...you are also quite beautiful."

The young man looked down at his girlfriend to see her face bright red, "Well...I would not quite say I am...beautiful…"

Eren smirked, looking ahead into the sea of trees, "I would. You may underestimate yourself, but I see your true beauty."

"...Eren?"

"Yeah?"

She bit her lip, "...I love you."

Eren looked at her, wide eyed. She never was the first one to say she loved him. His voice was surprised, "I...I love you too."

Annie smiled and rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes. She knew today had to end soon, so she wanted to savor every moment.

Eren smiled at her resting, giving her head a kiss. He loved seeing her so peaceful. He didn't want this to end.

But everything has to…

When the time came for them to go, they gave each other multiple kisses before they finally disconnected. Eren smiled at her as they still held hands until they pulled away, their fingers no longer interlocked.

Annie smirked at her lover, who gave her a smirk back, "I know tomorrow is a practice day, but can we just...lay together instead, we can go back to practice the next day."

Eren's smirk turned into a smile as he nodded at the thought. He looked up at the descending sun, "Sounds great. We should get going. See you tomorrow. I love you." He said, walking over and giving her another kiss before running off into the forest to go back home.

Annie smiled at the kiss he gave her and sighed happily, something she never usually did. Ever since Eren became a part of her life, she felt more like a human. For a moment, she stood there, thinking about the boy. A minute or so later, she walked back into town.

Eren stopped running after a few dozen trees, breathing heavily as he thought about the girl he loved. Her eyes, her almost rare smile, her kiss, her body, her voice, her _everything_ was just perfect to him. So why didn't he do it?

He fished into his pocket and pulled out the ring his mother gave him before she passed away, clutching it to his chest. _I should've asked her_, he thought to himself, _it was the perfect time_.

He gave himself a mental kick in the head, _Next time,_ He thought, pocketing the ring once again, before continuing on to his home.

Something was wrong. Mikasa was standing outside of their door, a worried look on her face, as Eren watched from the forest, _She only does that when I am late, _he thought, looking up at the sun, _I am early, and even then, she knows about Annie and I. _

He sighed deeply and walked over, every step getting heavier as his mind ran wild with thoughts over what has happened. _Someone died? Was it father? Did Jean leave her? What could possibly be wrong? _He thought to himself as Mikasa's eyes wandered over and noticed him, her eyes quickly darted down to avoid any eye contact as she started walking over.

Eren cocked an eyebrow, "Mikasa, what troubles you?"

Mikasa shook her head, her voice like a barren desert land, "Levi...wants to talk to you."

Both of Eren's eyebrows went up, "How soon does he need to see me?"

She glanced up to look at him, as if she knew what Levi wanted to tell him, "Now."

Levi sat at his table in his home, where his lover, Hange, brewed him some tea, which he was sipping now. _Ten times better than the tea at the castle_, he thought to himself.

Just then, a knock at the door sounded, and Hange began to walk over. Levi held out his arm to stop her, putting his tea cup down and standing up, "Hange, please, go upstairs, this is for me."

Hange looked at the door before she nodded and bowed, then walked upstairs. As soon as she was absent, Levi turned to the door, sighing as he walked over and opened it for the young man on the other side.

Before him stood Eren Jaeger, a kid who turned into a man in a matter of months. All because of a girl who will soon be his enemy. He was breathing heavily, as he had to run quite a bit to get here. Beads of sweat ran down his forehead.

Levi looked at him, his eyes the only thing giving away a hint of sadness as to what he is about to tell him. Might as well stall.

Levi walked back over to his tea, "Welcome Eren," He said, looking over at the boy, "Would you like some tea?"

Eren walked past the threshold into Levi's house, shaking his head as his breathing calmed down, "No...no, I don't."

Levi nodded and sat down, gesturing to the chair across from him, "Please...sit…"

Eren glanced at the chair, taking a step over and sitting down, he exhaled, looking at Levi, "Mikasa said you wanted to speak to me."

Levi blinked and nodded, looking at his tea cup, the porcelain gleaming from the sun glaring down on it through the nearby window.

There was a moment of silence, with Eren on edge and Levi planning the conversation. Only the shuffling upstairs from Hange probably cleaning something kept the room from witnessing full silence.

"King Fritz is dead."

Levi's voice pierced through the silence to give Eren the news.

Eren's eyes widened, "Dead?"

The short man nodded, "Yes, it was consumption that got him. Came out of nowhere. It was peaceful though, in his sleep."

Eren knew there was something more to this, "Then why would you invite me to your household to tell me he is dead? A letter would've done fine."

Levi glanced up at the young man, before looking back down at the tea in his cup. _It has probably gone cold already_, he thought before giving another sigh, "You know that he has no heir to the throne…"

Eren nodded, looking down at his hands, "Yeah, but I don't se…." The silence came back full force as Eren's eyes widened bigger. He realized what this meant as he tipped his head back up to face Levi, who was now looking straight at him.

Levi nodded, his face still the same way, blank, "There is going to be a war for the throne between the three kingdoms. Which means-"

"Sina...Stohess…" Eren muttered loud enough for Levi to hear, his eyes closed a bit as he felt tears come, "...Annie…"

Levi looked down at his tea again, "She is a part of their special forces, which makes her an enemy. I am sorry to say this Eren, but you must break all connections to Annie Leonhardt. I will give you both a chance to say your goodbyes, then afterwards, no talking, no writing, no contact unless it's in battle."

Eren stared down at his hands, tears falling out of his eyes and landing on his smooth young skin, "Please, no…" He said softly, shaking his head, "No…"

Levi nodded, "You must. You would be a traitor otherwise, and so would she to her own kingdom. If you are both alive after this war is over the-"

"Alive!" Eren shouted in anger, getting up from his chair so fast it knocked over backwards, tears streaming down his face, "What is the chance of that happening, huh? Of course they will send the Warriors after you! You are the most skilled knight in Maria! They will try to take _you_ out first! And if that happens, either Annie or I am dying and I don't know _who_ will have the blood on their hands from that! Could be you, or another soldier, or...or...or me…" He said, looking down at his feet at the thought.

Levi put the tea down and stood up, taking a few steps towards the boy, he reached out with his hand, "Eren...I-"

Eren smacked the hand away, taking several steps back towards the door, "Don't touch me! I...I have to go see Annie…" He said, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone out the door.

Levi sighed and walked back to his chair, sitting down, he glanced at the tea and shook his head, "Love is a dangerous thing…"

Annie reached the edge of her town, looking out at all of the houses before setting her eyes on her own house. A horse was there, tied up to a post outside the door. Annie thought this was peculiar, that could only mean one thing.

"Father's home." The small woman said to herself. She has never told her father about Eren, as she doesn't know what he will do if he knows. And he has never been home in a while. But she will have to tell him sooner or later. _Maybe tonight would be a good night_, she thought to herself as she began to walk towards her house.

She slowly approached the door, glancing at the horse before she decided to open it, walking inside to see her father sitting at the table, eating some food. Annie stood there, looking at her father, who didn't notice her until a few minutes afterward. He looked up from his plate, his eyebrows going up as he saw his daughter. He got up and smiled, walking over to hug her, "There's my little girl. I have been waiting here for a while to tell you some huge news." He said, leading her over to the table to sit her down. He sat back down in his chair, "But first, how's life? Have you been training? Taking care of yourself? Any boys in your life?"

Annie watched him curiously, ignoring his questions, "It's been a few months, what's so important that you decided to come home now?" She asked.

Her father took her small hands in his big ones, giving a solemn tone in his voice, "Well...King Fritz has died from a sickness."

Annie looked at him, her eyebrows going up, "The King is dead? I don't remember hearing about him having any children to become heirs to the throne."

He nodded, "Yes, which can only mean one thing."

Annie's eyes widened as she knew exactly what that meant. No heir means the throne is all up for grabs, and that means, "...War…"

Her father nodded, "Yes. Rose will be a piece of cake, they don't usually like to fight. It's those Marians we have to look out for. They have the best knights in Mitras, so we…"

His words drifted off in her head as her mind processed the information. _War means I would have to fight against Maria, and fighting against Maria means fighting against Eren, and fighting against Eren means one or both of us could die. I can't participate in this war. I won't. I have to see Eren no-_

Her thoughts were interrupted by her father, "Ann...Annie?"

Her eyes snapped back to her father as she called for her attention, "W-what?"

Her father cocked an eyebrow, "Are you okay?"

Annie looked at him and sighed, "Father, I must tell you something. I do have a man in my life."

Her father raised both eyebrows, interested, he nodded, "Yeah, what about him?"

Annie looked off into the fireplace, which was put out, "His name is Eren Jaeger, and...he is a knight...from Maria…"

Her father leaned back in the chair, looking at her. They stared at each other for a few minutes before he sighed, "You can't see him, at least not until the war is over."

The girl looked at her father, "What? You can't do tha-"

"I can and I just did. It sounds like you care for him deeply, and I am sorry I have to do this, but I can't have you talking with the enemy. You would be a traitor and traitors-"

"Get their heads chopped off, I know. But I can't fight him father, I can't."

"If you two meet on the battlefield, you must not hesitate. He probably won't."

Annie frowned at him, "You don't know him. He is a good man, and I love him just as much as he loves me. I will not see him on the battlefield, because I am not fighting in this war!"

Her father frowned back, "Now, Ann, I know it's hard, but I need yo-"

Annie stood up from her chair, "Don't give me that bullshit! This is the one time in my life where I actually feel loved by someone who is not a part of my family or Mina! And I just don't want that taken away from me!"

Her father stood up, towering over his daughter, "What would your mother think of this behavior?"

Annie's eyes widened as she took a few steps away from her father, "Don't bring her into this, leave her out of this!"

The father took a few steps forward, "Why? Because you know she thinks her daughter is in love with the enemy?"

The young woman, gave a very angry look to her father before picking up the nearest chair and throwing it across the room, smashing into splinters, "Fuck you!" She screamed before running out of the house and into the forest.

Her father watched her run, "Go...see him, it will be the last time you do."

A/N: Well here it is. The conflict. It only took me 11 chapters to show. Mostly because I just wanted to develop their relationship. But soon the violent shit will come in. I hope you all enjoyed!


	12. Goodbye

A/N: I hope you enjoy the chapter, this one is more emotional.

**Chapter 12: Goodbye**

Eren ducked and dodged at every branch that came at him, remembering the times when he first learned to dodge with Annie. He used to get hit so many times by that wooden sword in her hand that he almost felt like he was given some brain damage, but luckily he wasn't. If there was one thing those wooden swords didn't do, it was scratch at his hands like these branches were. They were not very painful, but the branches really irritated him right now, especially when considering his certain circumstances.

He eventually found his way back to the big tree, bursting through the brush and putting his hands out in front of him to catch himself on it, stopping so that he could take a breather, let everything he has just learned sink in. He pushed his back against the tree and slowly slid down, sitting on the roots spread out from it. His mind was running at a breakneck speed, filled with all kinds of memories of the past and thoughts of the future. Their first kiss, her last breath, the festival grounds, the war grounds, plans of marriage, and plans to kill himself if Annie were to ever die.

_Why is the world so fucked up?_ He thought to himself, running his fingers through his brown hair, tears streaming down his cheeks, which was something different, as he has never cried since he was a child, since his mother died. _I can't do it, I can't fight as long as she is in the war._ His mind was fighting a battle of it's own.

Annie ran out her father's door and did not look back, entering the forest. She jumped over rocks, over rivers, over brush just to get back to him. To Eren. Her mind was a at war, two sides battling against one another. _I can't go against my father, but I can't go against Eren. What the fuck do I do?_

Annie's thoughts were distracting her so much, her foot caught on a rock and she fell to the ground with a loud grunt and whimper. She scratched herself and her pullover up as well as giving her body bruises it didn't want. Her mind was telling her to get up, to get to Eren, but her body made her stay there, on the ground, laying on her side, as if defeated. She grabbed her shoulders, rocking slightly, as she felt cold. Whether it was her heart making her feel that way or the weather, she did not know. She silently cried to herself, but eventually her cries became louder as time went on, more and more tears sliding down her face. Everything has just came crashing down upon her, just as she has crashed down into the ground. The impossible had happened.

Annie became broken.

As Eren's thoughts seemed to die down, and his tears began to dry up, he could swear he heard an angel start to cry somewhere nearby. He slowly got up by pushing his hands against the bark and began to follow the noise, searching for it's source. As he got closer, the cries became louder and more wretched. _This person must be in utter torment_, he thought to himself, stepping over a rock. Once he arrived at the source, he found out what it was.

He crouched down next to Annie, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Annie...Annie?"

The young woman cries began to slow down until they stopped. She turned around to face her lover, sniffling as she reached up and grabbed his shoulders. She pulled herself up to wrap her arms around him and bury her face into the crook of his neck, she began to cry into his skin.

Eren wrapped one of his arms around the girl, comforting her as he hooked the other arm under her knees. He slowly stood up, holding Annie in his arms as he carried her back to the tree.

Looking at the girl, he realized just how horrible this was for her, as much as it was for him. They are going to be separated, barred from ever seeing each other until the war ends, as long as neither of them are dead by the end of it. And just looking at her, he has never seen Annie so...weak, and helpless and..._small_. He _hated_ the sight of it. This war is tearing them apart.

Eventually, she stopped crying as she lifted her head up to see Eren, his eyes red from the tears, carrying her. She sniffed and shook her head, "I can't fight you, Eren…I just _can't_."

Eren saw her red and puffy eyes. They have both done their amount of crying. He leaned his neck down to kiss her, "It's alright, don't worry, everything will be fine. We will think of something...we always do."

This seemed to calm Annie down a bit as she nodded and rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes, still sniffling a bit. Eren's face showed slight sadness at the sight.

When they got back to the tree, Eren crouched down to lay his lover against it, her eyes opening up. He sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her to pull her in close. Annie rested her head and one of her hands against his chest, wanting to stay as close to him as possible, "I won't fight you...I won't." She said.

Eren shook his head, looking at the forest, which looked different at this time, darker, "I can't join the army on this one. I ca-"

"You have to!"

Eren looked down at Annie, who looked up at him with wide eyes, "They are more lenient on girls than boys, Eren. If you don't join the army...you could be executed."

Eren's eyebrows turned down, "What will happen to you?"

"I will be imprisoned until the war is over. My father wouldn't let anything bad happen to me. What matters is that I will be alive, and you will be alive. You are skilled, and you have come a long way since we first met on that cliff. You will make it, and we will be together again."

Eren sighed as his eyebrows went back up, "You...you sure you want to do this?"

Annie nodded, "If it means I won't be seeing you hurt, then...yes."

The young man nodded, "Alright. Well...well I am not saying goodbye."

"Me neither. I refuse to."

Eren nodded, looking out at the forest, "But I have to go back."

"I know, me too." She said, resting her head on his chest again, being silent for a moment before speaking up, "But can we just...stay like this...for a while?"

"Of course." He said, as they sat there, holding each other, allowing the silence of the forest to surround and protect them from any outside forces.

An hour later, Annie lifted her head from his chest, "It's time. I need to get back or my father will send a search party."

Eren nodded stood up, lifting her up with him, "Will you be alright going home?"

Annie nodded, "Yeah...yes…I will..."

Just then, Eren remembered something, "Wait, Annie…"

She looked at him, "What?"

The young man reached into his pocket and took out his mother's ring. He got down on one knee and presented it to her, "I...I want you to keep this, as a, uhm, as a memory of me, and a way to remember that...that after this war is over, we will get married. This is my mother's ring, given to her by my father when he proposed. Please, take it."

Annie looked at the ring, "W-what if I lose it?"

Eren shook his head, "I know you won't."

The young woman looked at Eren, then the ring. She smiled, took it, and placed it on her left ring finger, looking at it with love. Eren stood up and they embraced each other, holding each other for what they know will _not_ be the last time.

Eren pulled back, "Go back now, be safe. I love you, and I will see you once this war is over."

Annie nodded and smiled, tears coming down her face again as she pulled him into a kiss. She pulled back, "I love you too...and...stay alive...for me."

He smiled, tears starting to fall down his cheeks as well, "O-of course."

And the two parted ways, not knowing that from a far distance, they were being watched.

Bertholdt and Reiner were once again checking the perimeter, holding their lanterns. It was just another day for them, when they suddenly heard a scream then a crash. Their heads turned towards Annie's house, seeing the small blonde open the door and begin to run to the forest. The two boys looked at each other before running to the house, lanterns in hand.

They skidded to a halt in front of the door, looking inside to see Annie's father sitting down at the table, his face in his palm. Bert was the first one to speak up.

"Uhm...Mister Leonhardt?"

The man lifted his head up and looked at two of his warriors, "Bertholdt, Reiner...wonderful to see you two."

Reiner cocked an eyebrow, "Uh, sir...what was that all about?" He asked, jerking a thumb towards the forest.

Leonhardt shook his head, "Nothing. Annie is just obsessed with some Marian...Jaeger, I think his name was." He said, before his eyebrows raised in thought, "Can you two...follow her? Make sure she doesn't get herself killed? But stay at a safe distance."

The two nodded, "Yes sir!" They said in unison as they put out their lanterns and began to run into the forest.

As they dashed past the trees, they spoke to each other, "So this was the reason why she went to the forest so god damn much!" Reiner said, hopping over a rock.

Bertholdt ducked under a branch, acting as if he didn't know what this was about, "For some boy? Why didn't she tell us?"

Reiner jumped with Bertholdt over a small river, "Probably because she didn't want us to know she was not only in love with a boy, but with a Marian!"

Bertholdt stopped, holding an arm out to stop Reiner, who looked at the taller man. Bertholdt raised a finger to his lips, "Listen…" He whispered.

They both went silent, their ears adjusting to it before a new noise entered: crying. They crept closer and closer until they saw the body of a woman laying in the dirt, shaking and crying. Bertholdt took a step closer, only to be stopped by Reiner, who pulled him down behind a bush. Reiner gestured to look over the bush.

Bertholdt nodded and slowly raised his head up to the point where he could see a boy, the one he confronted that other time, Eren Jaeger. The boy crouched down next to the girl, who was obviously Annie, he could hear the boy call her by name. He picked her up and carried her away. Bertholdt gestured for Reiner to start moving. Quickly they crept past the trees, occasionally looking to see the boy still carrying the girl.

"Is that Jaeger?" Reiner asked, quietly.

Bertholdt turned to Reiner and nodded, "It must be, he doesn't look like he is from Sina." He said as they heard the two speaking, something about 'not fighting' from the girl. The boy then kissed her and whispered something to her, which looked like it calmed her down. The two warriors continued to follow.

As the boy brought the girl into the large open area, Reiner and Bertholdt got into cover behind some brush.

They watched as Eren put Annie down and then sat right next to her, allowing her to lay her head against his chest. Reiner narrowed his eyes, "I don't trust this guy. How long have they been seeing each other?"

Bertholdt glanced up in thought, "The first time we saw her go into the forest a day after she usually does was probably two months ago...so probably that long."

Reiner looked at his friend, "Do you think she is giving out information about us?"

Bertholdt looked at Reiner, "What? No...she would not."

"Love does crazy things."

"She can not. She has her father's trust, and she can not break that."

"She can, and she probably is. I have told Leonhardt that he shouldn't have had his daughter be a part of the Warriors. Women are weak in the mind and give in too easily to love."

"She is a valuable soldier."

"She is weak."

"You son of a wh-"

"You have to!"

Both of their heads peered immediately over the brush as they heard Annie exclaim. They saw her in his arms, looking at him with scared eyes. She looked so weak, so...fragile. Reiner's words rang around in Bertholdt's mind. He looked down, almost defeated, his own words like knives in his chest.

"She is weak…"

Reiner looked at his friend with no pity, "Don't be so dramatic, stay on the task at hand."

The taller man looked at him and nodded, "You're right...o-of course…" He said, looking over at the couple.

They weren't saying anything, just resting with each other. Reiner sighed, "We may be here for a while."

In the hour that passed, nothing happened. Bertholdt was now resting on the floor as Reiner watched the two, waiting for something to happen.

Suddenly, Bertholdt felt a hand on his shoulder, "They are moving, Bert, get up."

Bertholdt sighed and sat up to peer over the brush, seeing the two standing and talking. Then the boy got down on one knee and held something out to her. A ring. Bertholdt stared wide eyed at this, "Is he...is he proposing?"

Reiner nodded, "He has to be…"

Bertholdt shook his head as he saw Annie take the ring, "Fuck…that...that _whore_…giving in so easily…"

Reiner nodded as he saw them part ways. He pushed Bertholdt a bit, "Come on, let's go!" He whispered. They had to go back. They had to tell General Leonhardt. Tell him that his daughter is marrying the enemy.

A/N: I know, I made Reiner out to be a dick, but someone had to be and I picked him, as well as having Bertholdt being corrupted by Reiner's words. Sorry if I have pissed off any Reiner lovers.

Anyway if you guys think anything was wrong, remember to comment. This being my first fanfic, I do need to learn. Thank you for reading!


	13. Alone

A/N: This chapter is gonna be a little crazy on the Annie side, but hey...crazy is fun...I guess...

**Chapter 13: Alone**

Alone. Alone. Alone. The perfect word to describe Eren. _Alone._ Sure, he had Mikasa, but she does not fill in the hole left in his heart. The hole that this upcoming war has created. He no longer feels like a human, he feels like a...machine. Just there to do what he is told, never to do what he wants, never to go into the woods, never to see that angel that can turn him into a human once again. It's already been a day and he feels horrible. He just wants to get out of here and go to her. To his love. To Annie.

So here he was, curled up like an infant in his bed. He was still crying but the tears were long gone. His eyes were dried up, red and puffy. He had not slept all night. _Who needs sleep when I am just going to dream about the one I love? The one I love but cannot talk to, the one I love but cannot feel, the one I love but cannot hold close to my body, so close that I can kiss her._ But he knew it would be a dream where he gets just close enough to kiss her, and then she fades away, away from his warming embrace. It would've killed him.

Suddenly, there was a knock at his room door. He heard it but ignored it, wanting to be by himself. The sound of the door creaking open reached his ears, the person deciding to come in anyway. Eren looked over at the door, seeing his sister, Mikasa. He frowned at her, dropping his head back down, "Go away." He muttered, just barely loud enough for her to hear.

Mikasa looked at her brother with pity, "Eren...please…"

"I said _go away_." He said, a bit louder.

"Eren…"

"Go away!" He shouted, swinging his arm in her direction.

Mikasa stood, unflinching, "No. I am not going to let my brother lay in his room and sulk all day." She walked over, crouching down by his bed. She reached out and touched his shoulder. He tried to wiggle it off but her grip held onto him firm; a steel grip, "Look at me, Eren...please...just look at me…"

Mikasa could feel him inhale and exhale. This reminded her of a time when Eren was sick with a cold when they were younger. She would come in every ten minutes to check in on him. "Stop, Mika, I am okay." He would say, but she knew he appreciated it. They were brother and sister. They took care of each other. No matter what.

Eren finally decided to turn around, his face locked in torment, showing his sister all of the pain and suffering he has been going through, "It's...it's so unfair, Mika...I haven't found love since I was a kid, and when I do, fate decides to shoot an arrow into my life, penetrating my heart and my very soul. Annie gets me, and I get her. We love to fight...she was perfect...how could God just do this and take my only source of happiness away!?"

Mikasa shrugged, "I don't know, Eren, I don't. All I know is that soon, you are going to be fighting, and I don't want you to die, so please just get up and fucking do something. After the war, you will have Annie again, I promise you."

Eren looked at the fabric of his bed, then back to his sister, "You...you're right. I am sorry. Give me a few minutes, I'll be down."

Mikasa gave a faint smile and nodded, patting him on the shoulder before standing up and walking out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Eren laid there in his bed, trying to regain himself, his character. _You will see her again, you will, _he thought to himself. He sighed as he literally rolled out of bed onto the floor with a small _thump_. He opened his eyes to have the sunlight glare right into them. He raised a hand to block it before he got up and stretched. _Time to start the day_, he thought, getting his clothes changed into something less dirty.

He walked to the door, putting his hand on the knob. Before he turned it, he looked out the window at the town of Shiganshima. He blinked, sighed, then turned the knob.

Alone. Annie was once again alone. Her father cannot do much to fill in the empty space in her life. Ever since her mother died, her father trained the soldiers, trained the Warriors, trained her, but he had little to do with the rest of her life. She learned to take care of herself with the help of her friend Mina ever since they were both six. Annie knew how to hunt, but Mina taught her to cook, since her father wasn't around to do that. Until she met Eren, Mina was the only family she really had. Now that Eren was taken away, so was half of her family. And Mina couldn't help her in this situation.

So here she was, laying on her side on her bed, staring at her door, her hair splayed out everywhere, her face devoid of any emotion. _Who needs one when you have no one to show it to?_ She thought to herself, her eyes counting every item in her room for the tenth time. This was the only way she could keep herself sane.

She hated being in this room, but she did not want to go downstairs; her father was down there. As soon as she got home last night, she sped upstairs and into her room. She then closed the door and jumped into her bed, staying there, her eyes wide open, for the whole night. Now, sunlight poured through her window onto the wooden floor, telling her that it is her first day without Eren. She wondered how he was doing.

Then she heard footsteps come upstairs and walk over to the door. The doorknob turned and unlocked the way for her father, who let himself in. He did not look happy, nor did he look angry.

He walked to the side to grab a chair, setting it down in front of his daughter. He sat down, looking down at his hands, "Are you...calmed?" He asked, looking at her.

Annie blinked, then glanced at him briefly before going back to looking at the door.

Her father sighed then nodded, "I learned last night that you met up with your...with Eren Jaeger…"

Annie lied there, silent, glancing at him as he talked about her lover.

The father noticed this response, "You care for him a lot...more than your father?"

Annie's eyes narrowed at her father.

He nodded again, "Has he...deflowered you?"

The young woman's eyebrows turned downward, she turned over in her bed, her back facing him, "No...he is _not_ that kind of man…"

Her father got up from the chair, walking over to the window, "Then tell me, Ann...what kind of _man_ is this Jaeger kid?"

Annie has had enough of these questions. She got out of bed and stood up, her hands balled up into fists. While the girl was much smaller than her father, she could stand up to him. Size does not matter to her. In the end, all humans can fall down.

Her father glanced at her, sensing her anger as if it emanated from her body, "Well? What kind of man is he?"

She narrowed her eyes, "Eren Jaeger...is a better man than you and any Warrior and soldier in Sina's army." She said in as calm a voice as she could.

He turned to her, frowning at her, "Is that so? So if he were to encounter Reiner in battle, Eren would be the victor?"

Annie nodded, "Yes, he will beat Reiner, Bertholdt, _and _you!"

"Is _that_ right?"

"Yeah!"

"So you are siding with the enemy!"

"I am not siding with anyone! I am just in love, father! You just can't seem to accept the fact that he is a Marian!"

"So what!? You are going to marry him!? After this war, are you going to marry him!?"

"Yeah, that is exactly what I am going to do! Because I love him father! He has already proposed to me!" She said, knowing that is not exactly the truth as she pulled the ring out of her pocket to show to her dad.

Her father stared at the ring, his voice lowered, "So...Reiner and Bertholdt _were_ telling the truth. I was quite skeptical because...why would my daughter accept the proposal of an enemy? It's because she is a whore!" He hissed, glaring at Annie before grabbing her by the wrist and turning quickly, pulling her along. He began to pry at her fingers wrapped around the ring while Annie swung her free fist at him while he held her by the wrist. She banged her fist against him.

"Let go of me!"

Annie's father then pried most of her fingers off of the ring before wrenching the ring from her hand. He dropped her on the floor with a _thud_ as he walked over to the window and threw the ring out of it, landing in the grass somewhere.

As he began to make his way towards the door, Annie ran up to the window and looked outside of it, not seeing the ring anywhere. _Shit!_ She thought to herself.

Then she heard the door close, and the sound of a key in a lock reached her ears as her eyes widened. She was at the door, pulling at the knob, "You _bastard!"_. Then she punched at the door. Then kicked at it. Then ran her shoulder into it. That is when she stopped. Leaning on the door with her shoulder, she slid down the door until she was sitting on her side.

Her head fell onto the door with a _thud_, a look of defeat on her face. "I lost it..." she mumbled, sounding weak, "I lost the ring...I'm...I'm sorry Eren...I...I fucked up…"

"I am telling you, Mina, I did _not_ have sex with Marlo!" Hitch whined, annoyed at her friend's persistence.

"It's been a few months after you two made out! How can you _not_ be banging already?" Mina said, frowning at her friend. _Seems logical to me_, she thought to herself.

"Damn it, Mina, that was _one _time, I am _not_ even attracted to Marlo, so just shut up!"

Mina huffed, "Fine, but I know your love for him is in there, somewhe-"

"Let go of me!"

Mina and Hitch looked up to see the source of the noise come from Annie's house, and saw a small metal object get thrown out. They saw Annie thrust her head out the window, supposedly looking for the object with a look of horror before she went back inside.

"You _bastard!"_ They heard her scream, along with a bunch of pounding noises.

The two girls were silent for a minute, processing what they just saw. Mina looked at Hitch, who looked back, "W-what was that all about?"

They then saw Annie's father ride away from the house on a horse, with what looked like a very angered face.

Hitch touched Mina with the back of her hand, "Come on, let's see what was thrown out of that window." She said as she ran to where the ring was thrown.

Mina followed, joining Hitch in the search for the small metal object they saw. They both got to their knees and spread their hands around to feel around for it.

Mina then saw something sparkle. She thrust her hands in that area, feeling something round. Grabbing it, she pulled her hand up and opened it to reveal what was in her palm. Her eyes widened.

It was a beautiful golden ring with some family seal etched into it, and on the inside, etched:

_To Karla, My Love_

Things started to run through Mina's head, searching her mind. Annie was horrified that this ring got thrown out. Mina doesn't know any Karlas and doesn't think Annie does, and this looks like an engagement ring, so that must mean…

"Oh my god!" Mina exclaimed turning the ring around in her hands.

Hitch's head snapped to her friend, her short light brown hair whipping about, "What? What?"

Mina turned to Hitch, showing the ring to her.

Hitch's eyes scanned the ring, widening, "Oh god…you think that…"

"Someone proposed to Annie? Yeah, and I know exactly who it is."

"Who?"

Mina shook her head, "Not here. I will explain at my house. I am gonna keep this ring...for Annie…" She said as they both got up and began to run back to Mina's house.

Later in the day, Eren was practicing with his training sword, fighting against an imaginary opponent. He blocked against their imaginary attacks, dodged under their sword swings, and countered them.

He ended it by decapitating his fake opponent, sending their head flying. He smiled to himself childishly before looking at the training sword. His smile dropped as the memories of the same sword thunking him in the head went through his mind, with the sword hitting him being held by...by Annie. While they were unpleasant, that was how he learned, and how he gained the respect of Annie, as he _never_ gave up, even after all that damage to his body. He missed it.

The sound of horses galloping and armor jingling snapped him out of his trance. He turned his head to the source. A small young blonde woman sitting on a horse, wearing a white dress with a white silk cape around her shoulders, with a taller, tanner and darker haired woman wearing iron armor, also sitting on a horse.

While it wasn't Annie, he couldn't help but smile at the small blonde woman, his friend Historia is being treated like royalty now that she has the potential of being a claimant of Maria and even Queen of Mitras. When she smiled, it was like God himself shined upon her. Eren does admit that he did have an attraction to her when he was younger. But then they got older, and she became interested in a different gender altogether.

Historia hopped down from her white horse, the darker woman staying on her brown one, positioned almost like a guard. Historia walked over and smiled at Eren again, her arms wrapping around him, "Nice to see you, my dear knight."

Eren laughed and they let go of each other, "Nice to see you too, my lady."

Whenever Eren played pretend with his friends at the time that they were younger, he was always the knight. And Historia was always the princess, needing to be saved or giving Eren a quest he must go on. That is how they became good friends. They had a considerable size difference then, and they have a significant size difference now. Historia was a whole foot shorter.

Eren looked up to the tall woman on the horse, "Ymir! Nice to see you too! What's with the armor?"

Ymir glanced down at the young man, "I am the appointed guardian of the future Lady of Maria."

Historia smiled at Ymir, looking back to Eren, "May I come inside? I must talk to you."

Eren cocked an eyebrow, but nodded, "Uh, of course. Would your guardian like to come inside?"

Ymir shook her head, "I must stay outside. Keep watch."

Eren nodded, walking over to his front door to open it for Historia, who nodded to him and walked inside. Eren nodded back before walking inside, closing the door behind him.

Historia looked around at the house, her cape twirling around with her, "Last time I was inside of this house, Mr. Jaeger was cleaning up a cut I got when I tripped on a rock during our play pretend game." She said, giggling before looking at Eren, "Where is Mikasa?"

Eren smiled back and looked out the window, "A child in town has caught the cold. Young mother, new, sent for Mikasa."

Historia nodded, "Will the child be well?"

Eren snapped his head to look at his friend, "Oh...yes. Children usually get through it on their own. The new mother is panicking. It's normal. Mikasa will teach the mother how to treat her child. You know, herbs that will help the child feel more comfortable as they get better."

"What herbs?"

Eren glanced up in thought before walking over to the herb rack, taking two jars off of it

and looking at them, "Uh...usually...mint we grow out back to restore appetite and...uh...horehound from Asia to help with coughs."

"Your father must have taught you two a lot."

Eren placed the herbs back on the rack, turning around to look at Historia, "Mostly Mikasa, I was too focused on becoming a knight, but I _did_ listen a bit at some points." He said, walking over to the table to pull a chair out, "Would you like to sit?"

Historia smiled and nodded before sitting down. Eren walked around the table and sat down in his chair, "So...what did you want to talk about?"

Historia eyes widened, "Ah yes, of course. Uhm...I have heard about your...situation...with Annie Leonhardt?"

Eren's eyes glanced down at the table, "Yeah...yeah...she is from Sina, and because of this upcoming war...we...we cannot see each other until the war is over."

Historia nodded and gave her friend a sad look, "I am sorry about that. I saw you two dance at the festival, you two looked perfect together. But...you understand why we had to do it. Is she going to be in the army?"

Eren stayed silent, but shook his head.

Historia blinked, giving a faint smile, "That's good. That means she will stay alive. And Levi The Great has told me you have almost matched him in skill, so I will pray to God that you will live through this war. And if you do, I will have your wedding staged at Castle Maria, when you two are ready, of course. It will be wonderful, Eren."

Eren gave a faint smile back, "Yeah...thanks…" He said, looking at Historia.

Historia nodded and stood up, "Also, my father wanted me to tell you about your knighthood. He says you will be knighted after the war, but consider yourself a knight already. We would knight you now, however we do not have the time or the resources for it. You understand, yes?"

Eren stood up, nodding, "Of course, Lady Historia."

The young woman held up her hand, "Please, Eren, don't start calling me that. You are not a regular Marian to me. You are a friend. Friends just call me Historia."

Eren smiled, "Right...right, sorry, Historia. So you leaving?"

Historia made her way to the door, "Sadly, yes, I must. Being a future claimant means lots of paperwork and training to becoming a 'proper lady'."

Eren laughed and walked over, opening the door for her, "Well then, future Lady of Maria, farewell. Be safe."

Historia smiled and nodded, placing a hand on the young man's shoulder, "Remember, Eren, don't lose hope. Be strong." She said before walking out of the door.

Eren watched her get on her horse, "I will, Historia. Thank you." He said, waving.

Historia waved back, turning her horse around, "See you later, Jaeger!" She said before riding away with her guardian.

Eren leaned against the door, looking down. After a moment, he sighed and was about to close the door when he heard the sound of more galloping. He looked up to see a black horse with a small man on it. Levi.

His horse skidded to a stop in front of the house, the rider looking at Eren, his eyes showing no emotion, "How are you feeling, Jaeger?"

Eren looked off to the side. _How am I feeling? Sad, angry, alone._

He turned his head back to Levi, "I am feeling good, sir." He lied.

Levi nodded to him, "That's good. I just came here to tell you that we leave for battle in one week. Be ready by then!"

Eren nodded, "Yes, sir!"

Levi didn't say a thing as he rode away into the town, the sun now kissing the horizon. Eren's eyes were locked on the dying sun, "One...week…"

A/N: Always nice to have Mina and Hitch as a little comic relief. And yes, there is a little bit of Historia/Eren in there (In the past), as well as some Marlo/Hitch. Also, I had to do extensive research on those herbs for that little part. Back then, apparently, they thought horehound helps with coughs (or chesties, if you prefer), but they really don't, but mint can help restore appetite, as lost appetite is a symptom of the cold. But I always have fun doing research (I am a history nerd). Again, if anything is wrong, don't be afraid to tell me. I hope you all enjoyed!


	14. Sneak

A/N: After this chapter, the floodgates of violence and blood open. It'll be fuuuun.

**Chapter 14: Sneak**

_Six days_. Those two words went through Eren's mind as he slowly opened his eyes to the sunlight pouring through the window. _Six days until battle, six days until he will have to fight Annie's kingdom, six days until his chances of dying increase._ While he was able to sleep over the night that Levi came to tell him when the war begins, nightmares of Annie being in the battlefield haunted his brain. Over the night, his mind has shown Annie, in the battlefield, being stabbed, cut up, shot, disfigured, smashed, and many other ways she could die if she were out there.

While he knew she wouldn't fight in the war, he couldn't help but feel that she is in some kind of danger while staying in Sina. And there was _nothing_ he could do about it. He felt powerless, not being able to help the girl he loved. He felt weak. He felt _useless_.

The young man sighed as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, resting his elbows on his knees so that he could rest his face in his palms, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He slowly slid his hands down his face, pulling them away as he reached his chin before standing up. He changed his clothing, getting into his long beige shirt and brown trousers.

As he pulled his shirt on, someone knocked at his door. He cocked an eyebrow, "Yeah, I will be down in a bit, Mikasa!"

The door opened, Eren turning around to tell Mikasa what he just said when he stopped, his eyes widening. In front of him was a young man with short blonde hair and blue eyes, staring at him with a smile on his face, "Hey there, Eren. Mikasa has gone out to treat some children." He said.

Eren smiled and walked over to wrap his arms around the young man, "Oh my god...hey, Armin!" He said, happy to see his old friend. A few months ago, Armin had left to go study at Castle Maria, as he wanted to be a Chamberlain for the Lord, and soon, the Lady. He was not able to make it to the festival on the account that he had too much work to do. Eren hadn't seen his best friend since he left. If there was one thing that could make Eren happy in this time of sadness, it would be this, being with his friend.

Armin pulled away, "How are you doing, friend? I heard you are practically a knight already."

Eren nodded, gesturing for them to sit on his bed. When they did so, he sighed happily, "Yeah. Historia told me I should already consider myself one, since I can't be knighted with all this stuff going on." He said, smiling.

Armin nodded, "So I guess your dream has finally come true, huh? All those games of pretend have become a reality?"

Eren laughed and nodded, "Yeah...I guess…" He trailed off, looking downwards as he sighed.

Armin cocked an eyebrow at his friend, leaning his head down to look at Eren's face while placing a hand on his shoulder, "Eren...what...what's wrong? You can tell me...I am your friend."

Eren turned his head to look at Armin, "Armin, my friend, while you were away to study, I fell in love with a girl who loves me back. A beautiful one. Her name is Annie Leonhardt."

Armin smiled more, nodding, "Congratulations, Eren. Where can I meet this lovely lady?"

Eren looked at his friend sadly, tears threatening to fall down his cheeks, he shook his head, "She lives...in Sina…"

Armin's eyes widened, "Oh...oh god, Eren...I'm...I'm so sorry." He said.

Eren shook his head, "Don't be. It's not your fault the king decided to die. She works in a division of their army called the Warriors, but she won't be joining the fight. She refuses to as long as I am fighting in it. I gave her my mother's ring, Armin. As soon as this war is over, we are going to get married. Historia says she will stage the wedding at Castle Maria."

"That's good Eren."

"But it's just...it just feels so horrible to be away from her. Every day away feels like a knife going deeper and deeper into my chest, and soon enough, it will pierce my heart and I will bleed out."

Armin nodded, "That is understandable, Eren. But one thing you need to understand is that if you keep that feeling up, you will never make it off the battlefield alive, and you will not go back to Annie. She will go to you, when you are six feet under the ground. Don't let this feeling over take you. You can let it out in times when you are alone. We all need to let out our feelings every once in a while. Just don't let it get to you during battle. I want to see you get married to this girl, Eren, to see you happy."

Eren looked at his friend, nodding and placing a hand on his shoulder, "Thank you Armin...you really know what to say."

Armin laughed, "Yes, yes, I need to. It's part of the job, I guess."

Eren laughed, and Armin stood up, "Well, I...better get going...work to do. It was great seeing you, Eren, I hope we can do it again soon."

Eren smiled and stood up, nodding, "Of course, Armin. Stay safe. Be well."

Armin nodded, "You too, friend." He said before hugging his friend and walking out the door, "Farewell." He said.

When he was gone, going back to town, Eren sighed and sat down on his bed again, putting his face in his hands. _Don't let this feeling overtake you, push it away until you are alone, don't show it to others, you are not weak, you are just a man. A man in love._ He thought, all these thoughts going through his mind. _I will see_-tap-_her again, after this_-tap-_war, and we will get_-tap-_married, and live a wonderful_-tap-

Eren's head shot up, "What is that?" He asked no one, looking at his window. He saw a pebble hit the window, _tap_, the sound echoing across his room. _Tap...tap...tap_. Eren got up from his bed and walked over to the window, opening it up and looking down, his eyes widened.

"Wow Mina, you were right, he is pretty rugged and handsome." A light brown haired woman said.

"I told you." The girl he met before, Mina, replied.

"Well forgive me if I didn't believe you."

Eren shook his head, "Hey, what are you doing here?"

Mina looked up at Eren, "It's Annie, she is in trouble. Her father has locked her in her room and rode away. We can't just let her stay up there, she will starve to death, so I have-"

"_We_ have designed a plan to get her out. Simple and safe. And you two lovebirds will have time together." Hitch said, smiling.

Eren's eyes widened, "Really? W-what's the plan?"

Mina smiled, "We can't use a ladder, that would be too loud if it bangs against the window. So we have decided we will get rope and throw it to her to let her climb down safely. Then we will bring her to a campsite we will make for her near where you guys practice."

Eren nodded, "Why do you need me?"

Mina and Hitch looked at each other, before looking at Eren, Hitch spoke, "We aren't the...best throwers."

Mina nodded, "Also, we want you to be there for when we save her. You can comfort her, and stay with her for the whole night."

"When will this be happening?"

"Tomorrow night. Her father is said to return by midnight tomorrow, so we must be quick. We cannot do it tonight as we need to get the resources. Tomorrow night, meet me by the big tree and I will bring you to Annie's house, there you can help us get her out. Then we will bring her into the forest and get her settled in the camp. And then you two can have time to yourselves."

Eren rolled his eyes and nodded, "Alright. Tomorrow night, by the big tree. See you there. Now get going before someone sees you!"

The two girls nodded before running to the forest. When they were out of sight, Eren closed his window and smiled. _I am going to see her again!_ He thought to himself, jumping into bed. He can't wait for tomorrow night. _I'll be her knight in shining armor_.

Eren held the lantern in hand as he walked through the woods, the flame inside flickering and waving violently. Last time he entered the forest at night, he was picking Annie up for the festival. The young man sighed at the thought. _Back when things were perfect_, he thought to himself, stepping out into the practice area. His eyes glanced around for any figures nearby. Only one popped out to him.

A girl was leaning against the tree, not noticing him yet. Eren took a few more steps forward. The girl's head turned to look at him, giving a sigh of relief as she pushed herself off of the tree and walked forward into the light.

"You made it." Mina said, smiling.

Eren nodded, "Of course I did. Why would I not be here to save the love of my life?"

Mina's smile grew as she reached up to pinch his cheek, "So cute…" She muttered.

Eren gently pushed her hand away, "Shall we get going?"

Mina blinked and nodded, "Right. Snuff that candle out. No lights, Jaeger."

Eren nodded and put out the light in the lantern before placing it on the ground, "Let's get going."

Annie had not moved from her spot. She was still there, back against the corner next to her door, but she did move a bit. Her knees were pulled in and her head was resting on them. She was hungry, thirsty, and tired, her eyes starting to close slowly from exhaustion. Her father had not come back from wherever he went. So she was left here, maybe to starve to death, maybe as a form of punishment. But this could _not_ compare to the pain she felt being away from Eren. That will kill her before anything else does.

What has been going through her mind were happier times for her. Times when her mother was alive and she was brought to festivals, times when she had fun talking with Mina, times when she was with Eren. She missed being able to show her positive emotions to those she loved. She wished she could show Eren her smile, one last time…

As her eyes were about to shut close, she heard a soft _thump_. This made her eyes snap open, and her head turn up to see what it was.

One end of a rope was laying across her room, the other end disappearing under the window. Her eyes wide, she slowly began to get up before walking over to the window. Her eyes could not believe what they saw. Mina, Hitch...and Eren! It was wonderful to see him again, smiling up at her.

Her lips twitched up into a smile. Her mouth opened to say something, but Mina put a finger on her lips, telling her to not say a word, then she showed the rope and did a movement with her hands to show Annie that she needs to tie it to something.

Annie nodded and walked over to pick up the end of the rope in her room, already knowing where to tie it. The doorknob. She made sure she tied the rope around the knob nice and secure before looked out her window again, smiling at Eren as she picked up the rope and climbed out of her window, repelling herself down to the ground.

Once her feet crushed the dirt beneath them, she let go of the rope and turned around to immediately wrap her arms around Eren, resting her head on his chest. Mina and Hitch smiled at the display of affection between the two separated lovers.

Their smiles vanished as they heard the sound of galloping coming towards the house. Eren and Annie looked at each other, panicked, before all four crouched down and Mina took the lead as she stopped at the corner, peering around it to see the source.

Mr. Leonhardt has finally arrived home, wondering if his daughter has finally calmed down and came to her senses. He tied his horse to a post before walking inside.

Mina waited a few seconds before looking at her friends, gesturing for them to follow quickly as she began to make her way from the house to the forest. Eren, Annie, and Hitch followed behind, trying to keep as silent as possible.

As soon as they reached the edge of the forest, a scream of rage erupted from Annie's house. They looked at the house before hiding behind trees, Eren and Annie glancing at each other before they both decided to look.

Mr. Leonhardt pushed the front door open, his eyes scanning the forest in front of his home, a look of murder on his face, "_Jaeger!"_ He shouted, walking back and forth in front of the house, "I know it was _you!_ You think it's alright to just take someone's _daughter!? _If you want her, FINE, take her! But when I see you on the battlefield, you better pray to _God_ that I don't get to you first!"

When he finished the speech of rage, he looked at the trees again, before turning around and walking inside, slamming the door shut.

Annie looked over at Eren, seeing him wide eyed. She reached over and grabbed his wrist, "Eren, don't let him get to you."

Eren turned his head to look at Annie. He inhaled slowly, then exhaled, nodding to her, "Yeah, yeah...you're right."

Hitch looked at the two, "Come on, lovebirds, lets get going."

They brought the couple to a camp far enough from the practice area, in a very familiar place. As they entered the camp, Eren looked around and smiled, "Annie...remember this place?" He asked, glancing at his lover.

Annie looked up at Eren before turning her head to the camp, her smile widened, "Of course I do...it's where we first met." She said, all the memories rushing through her head like a river. That is when she remembered something, "Eren...the ring...my father took it and threw it out the window...I'm sorry…"

Before Eren could say anything, Mina stepped in, holding the ring out, "Hitch and I found it after you fought with your dad."

Annie looked to her friend and hugged her before taking the ring, "Thank you...thank you both…"

Mina shook her head, "Anything for a friend." She said before walking back to Hitch.

"Hey Mina." Eren said. The girl turned around, waiting for him to speak.

The boy smiled, "Thank you…" He said. She nodded before turning back to Hitch.

Eren led Annie over to the edge of the cliff, sitting down with her as they watched the waves crash against the rocks. Annie rested her head on Eren's shoulder, enjoying the sounds around her.

Mina and Hitch watched the two from the camp, looking at each other, they smiled, "We did good today, Hitch, we did good."

Hitch giggled, "I guess we did." She said before turning her head back to the two.

For now, everything was right in the world for these two, everything was great.

But in a week, things will change.

A/N: Well, I hope you guys enjoyed. I enjoyed making the next chapters because I gotta get creative with the war scenes. Some will be short, others will be long. Anyway, thank you for reading!


	15. Time

A/N: I will admit the battle is kind of short but there will be longer ones in the future. I hope y'all enjoy!

**Chapter 15: Time**

When Eren came back home that night, Mikasa had asked him where he went. He lied and said that he went out to patrol the forest, just in case any Sinans decided to sneak into Maria, and that he would be doing it for the next week until war begins. He told her not to tell Levi he is doing this, as the more people there would be, the less likely they would catch someone. Mikasa just nodded and believed him, though Eren knew he had to tell her sooner or later.

But he decided to just enjoy the time he had with Annie, talking to her, embracing her, and, of course, making out with her. They told each other stories from when they were children. Annie's favorite was when he told her about the time his friends Connie and Sasha decided it would be funny to place a live beetle into an apple and give it to Eren. When the apple started to move, the young boy freaked out and ran out of his house, believing the apple to be possessed. That made her laugh. A lot.

But every day the shadows of war hung over them, the time getting shorter as the end of the week came closer.

It was time. Eren woke up to the sight of sunlight through his window, which looked gloomier than the other days. He sighed and rubbed his eyes before swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He reached for the key hanging from his neck, pulling it up into view. _It was time_, he thought to himself.

Standing up, he began to get changed into his arming doublet. He heard a knock at his door, "Eren, today is the big day."

Eren smiled faintly, "Yeah...yeah, I will be down in a bit."

Once Eren got downstairs, he saw Mikasa sitting there, staring at the soup she made, lost in thought.

Eren cocked an eyebrow towards his sister. He walked over to his sister and took a seat next to her, "Mika?"

Mikasa's head turned up to look at her brother, giving a small smile before shaking her head, "It's nothing...don't worry. Well...actually...I am just worried...about you...and Jean…"

Eren smiled as he wrapped an arm around her, "Don't worry about us, Mika, worry about the people of this town, and worry about yourself. Your brother is a knight now. And so is Jean. We can take care of ourselves."

Mikasa's smiled again as she nodded, "Yeah...I know...your soup is getting cold...you should eat before you check out what is...in the basement."

Eren nodded before he pulled his bowl over and began to eat his soup with his sister, both of them hoping it won't be the last time.

The bowl, now empty, sat in front of Eren as he stared at it. _It's time_, he thought to himself again as he glanced up at Mikasa, who was looking at him. She nodded, "Get to it, Eren." She said as she stood up to get the bowls.

Eren nodded and stood up, turning his head to look at the basement. He took the necklace off, the key in between his right thumb and forefinger. Every step he took towards the door was like a door in his mind being opened to enlightenment. Once he reached the door, he inhaled and exhaled deeply before he put the key in the lock and turned it. The door unlocked with a _click_. The young knight grabbed the doorknob and turned it to open the door out wide, allowing him entrance to what mysteries lay below. A stairway stood in front of him.

One foot after the other he descended down into the basement, which was surprisingly clean. The stone floors were clear and the walls had no shelves or ornaments. It was like this basement was only made for he reached the final step, he looked at the room in front of him. His eyes widened, his breath drawn in, and his heart skipped a beat at the sight.

In front of him stood an armor stand, and on this armor stand, the most beautiful set of armor he has ever seen. While his old suit of armor was rusty and clunky, this armor was shiny, gilded, and looked like he could move well in it, given the fact that it is knight's armor.

What lay next to it was a longsword, in it's smooth wooden scabbard with a steel locket and chape, three leather straps near the top connected to a belt. The red leather grip and steel round pommel stuck out, the lenticular steel cross-section sticking out of both sides. Eren picked up the sword by the scabbard in one hand, grabbing the handle with the other as he pulled the sword out with a _shing_. The steel blade was perfectly sharpened and pointed, the fullers running up the flat sides until they stopped three quarters of the way to the top, where the central ridge finished it. It was a magnificent blade.

Eren noticed a piece of parchment was wrapped around the blade just above the cross-guard. He slide it down the length of the blade, pulling it off and unraveling it. It was a letter from his father. It read:

_Dear my son, Sir Eren Jaeger,_

_There are only two reasons why you would be reading this, either you decided to go to the basement before you were a knight because you are an impatient ass, or you have finally become a knight of Maria. I am hoping it is the latter, son. And if it is, congratulations. I have saved a lot of money to buy the gear before you. Why? Because I knew you would be a knight one day. Jaegers never give up once they put their mind to something. I trust you to do the right thing. I am so proud of you son._

_Sincerely, your father, Grisha Jaeger_

Eren's lips twitched upward into a smile as he read the letter, the smile getting wider and wider as the letter continued. When he finished it, he rolled it up and pocketed it. That's when he heard steps coming down to him.

He turned his head to see Mikasa at the foot of the stairs, marvelling at the armor before her. She glanced at Eren, "Father got you these?"

Eren nodded, "Yeah, I guess as a gift for...becoming a knight."

Mikasa looked at the armor, then at Eren, she smiled, "Well, let's get that on you, shall we?"

Eren smiled and nodded, "We shall."

They brought the armor and sword upstairs so that Eren wouldn't have to walk up the steps in the suit. Mikasa began to put the armor on her brother, fastening the pieces to his arming doublet.

Eren remembered the times when Annie used to do this with her armor on him. After the festival, she used to kiss him from time to time as she fastened the armor to him. _I need to say goodbye to her before I leave_, he thought to himself.

As Mikasa finished up, she stepped back to look at her brother, "Eren, you definitely look like a royal knight. I never thought I would see you like this. I guess you have one person to thank for that." She smirked.

Eren smiled and nodded, "Yeah...yeah, I do. Though you also helped me out, Mikasa. You were the supportive sister."

Mikasa smiled back, grabbing the scabbard and putting it on her brother, "Now...every knight needs his sword." She said, after strapping the sword to his side, she hugged him one more time. She pulled back, smiling sadly, "You should get going."

The young knight nodded and looked at the door. Walking over to it, he placed his hand on the knob and turned it, opening the door. Before he stepped out, he turned to his sister, "I am going to go to the forest...to remember the old times...and to say goodbye."

Mikasa nodded, "Alright, be safe Eren, I will pray for you. Also, watch Jean's ass for me."

Eren laughed before nodding, "I will, Mika. Farewell." He said, closing the door behind him.

Mikasa pulled her scarf up to her nose, "Farewell…"

Annie smiled to herself as she pulled the dead rabbit out of the noose, congratulating herself on making a successful snare. Luckily, since it was autumn, she was able to find some apocynum plants near streams and harvest them into fiber, since the toxins are drained into the roots. Then she had to get two sticks and carve hooks into them with a rock so that they would interlock with each other. She planted the bottom stick into the ground and tied the top one to a nearby bendable branch. She also tied a noose to the bottom of the hook. And the result of creating a snare is getting some meat for tonight, instead of berries. She was getting tired of berries.

Now all she needed to do was make a knife out of stone and create a bow from some tree branch and the string out of the fibers she made. Her father taught her all of this when she was younger. It was hard work, but useful now.

She brought the rabbit corpse back to her camp, where she also had a rock flake and a smooth piece of stone. The smooth piece was her stone hammer, which was how she got the rock flake. She had found a softer stone and hit the edge with the stone hammer to chip off a sharp piece. This was how she was going to skin the rabbit. She cut into it with the flake and began to remove the skin so that she can hang it on her spit roast.

As she tied the skinned rabbit to the spit roast and started the fire, she stepped back and rested, having to wake up early in the morning to check her snares. The young woman sighed, lying her back against a tree. If she counted correctly, today was the day Eren would be going off to war, and she has been stressing about it. _What if he gets killed? What if I never see him again?_ Those were the questions that ran through her mind. But then she remembered; if she trusted in her abilities, she trusted in his.

Through her thinking, she almost didn't hear the sound of shuffling armor as it grew nearer and nearer. Her eyes widened as she peered around the tree to see who it was. It was _him_. Her knight in shining armor...literally.

Eren spotted Annie's blonde head, smiling at her. She stood up and walked over, looking him up and down in his new armor. He got down on one knee, holding a hand out, "My fair maiden, may I take your hand?"

Annie smiled and placed her small hand in his big hand. He pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed it, making her blush, "You may stand, my knight."

Eren laughed and stood up, letting Annie reach up to kiss him. When they pulled away, Annie looked at him sadly, knowing why he was here, "So...I guess you have to go soon, right?"

Eren smile faltered as he nodded, "Yeah...I just came her to say goodbye, and that I will see you when I get back."

Annie gave a faint smile, "I will see you then, Jaeger."

The knight took a step forward to hug her, her arms wrapping around him as well, "I love you…"

Annie felt the tears coming, but held them back, "I...love you too...Eren…"

They let go of each other, nodding to each other one last time before Eren turned around to go back.

Annie turned back to her camp, watching as the fat began to drip off of the rabbit carcass. She sighed and pulled her hood over her head.

"Hey Rogue, it's me." Eren said as he led his horse, who was fit with a new saddle, out of the stables in town before getting on and riding towards the camp Levi has set up not too far from Shiganshima.

Levi looked at the map on his table in the captain's tent, armed in his suit, already planning out where they will be going and showing it to his second-in-command, Mike Zacharius, and his commander, Erwin Smith. He heard the sounds of soldiers outside, talking, eating, preparing, arming and laughing. He knew that would stop as soon as they got into battle. He was waiting for his knights to get here. He had five; three old, one recent, and one very recent.

He heard the tent flap opening and glanced up to see his three older knights arrive, Gunther Shultz, Eld Jinn, and Oluo Bozado.

Levi huffed as he looked at them, "Took you three long enough to get here. Have you seen Sir Kirschtein or Sir Jaeger?"

Gunther spoke up, "We saw Sir Kirschtein tying up his horse just before we entered. I have not seen Sir Jaeger."

Levi sighed and nodded, "Well, when you see Sir Jaeger, tell him to meet me in my tent...this tent. Since he is a new knight, he needs something."

Oluo nodded, "Yes sir." They bowed before all three walked out.

Erwin glanced at Levi, "Do you trust your student enough to know he will join us?"

Levi nodded, "Yes, sir. He will be here soon."

As if on cue, the tent flap opened to show the young knight standing there, taking a few steps inside to lower the flap. He looked at all three of the men before bowing, "Uh, Eld told me you wanted to speak with me?"

Levi looked at Eren and nodded, reaching over to a nearby bed stand to grab a box. He walked over to Eren, "Sir Jaeger, now that you are a knight, you must control your horse like one. And you will do so, with these."

Levi opened the box to reveal two gold and gilded eight point roundel spurs. Eren looked at them with awe. He grabbed them, feeling the gilds with his fingers, before he reached down to put them on his boots. After he put them on, he straightened up and kicked his foot slightly, his spur spinning and jingling.

Levi watched him, "Congratulations, Sir Eren Jaeger. You are a knight who has finally earned his spurs."

Eren smiled and nodded, "Thank you, sir...uh, is there...anything else?"

Levi shook his head, "No. You may leave. We are going to begin soon so get everything prepared."

Eren nodded and bowed, "Yes sir!" He said before turning around and walking out of the tent, his spurs jingling with every step.

As Eren stepped out, he looked around. First, he saw the heavy cavalry, the ones with armored horses, lances, battle axes, and so on. Then the light cavalry, lightly armored ones on horses, usually carrying sword, spears, and bows. Then the infantry, which were the unmounted ones, containing the spearmen, archers, and swordsmen. Then he saw the knights, the group he was in, all armored up and ready to fight. _Just like me_, he thought to himself before he put his foot in the stirrup of his horse and swung his leg over. Once he settled himself, he looked at the army they had, smiling.

Just then, Levi came out of the tent. He walked over to his black horse and got on so that he could be seen by all. He pulled the reins to make the horse turn around so that he could speak to everyone, "Men! We are leaving for battle now! Gather your things! Get into formation! We are rolling out!"

A few miles down the path, the knights leading the way, with Jean and Eren in the back. The air was filled with the sounds of marching men, clopping hooves, and jingling armor. Eren felt strange. It wasn't the heat, making his hair cling to his forehead. It's just that...he has never been in a battle before, and here he was, in line to fight. It made him nervous and excited at the same time.

Things have been silent except for the noises the army made. It was almost strange how quiet it was. Like as if something was on the brink of happening.

All of the sudden, one of the heavy cavalry horses cried out in pain, starting to stumble. Everyone looked as the man on the horse tried to regain control, but Eren saw what the reason for the horse' outbreak as it fell on it's side and the man's leg. The horse had a shaft sticking out of it's neck. An arrow. Eren's eyes grew wide as he heard someone shout out, "Ambush!"

Suddenly, soldiers began to pour out of the forest around them, as if they were all hiding there. Maria's army immediately took action, the infantry running at the soldiers to fight as the archers stayed back and shot at whatever archers they could see. The heavy cavalry began to charge while the light cavalry rode their horses around, attacking whenever they could.

All of the knights got off of their horses and began to attack. Jean and Eren looked at each other with worry, as they have never been in this kind of chaos. People falling here and there, blood flying through the air. Eren could hear his heartbeat going at a fast pace, and his eyes were constantly moving as he assessed everything around him.

Suddenly, a spearman charged at Eren, roaring at the top of his lungs. Eren quickly dodged to the side and drew his blade, slashing the spear in half before pulling his arms back and thrusting his sword into the man's chest, killing him. Eren pulled the sword out, his weapon and hands now covered in some man's blood. His first kill…

The young knight heard a scream getting closer. It was coming from behind. He spun around, instantly countering a swordsman's attack and swiping across his neck, cutting his throat wide open. Some blood spurted onto Eren's face. He saw the man's eyes stare wide at him as he tried to hold the blood from coming out of his throat. Eren stared at the man, who fell down and slowly began to bleed out from the neck.

Eren blinked before he sensed someone behind him. He pivoted on his foot to face a blonde muscular man...dressed in the Warrior garb!

He was holding a short sword in one hand and a bullock dagger in the other, swiping at Eren's face with the former, nicking him on the cheek. Eren felt a small jolt of pain, but he had to ignore it, he remembered what Annie told him.

"_Worry about your wounds later when in battle,"_ She said during one practice session, "_The body goes into a state of constant endurance during times of chaos and panic, enough where you almost have no sense of pain. Almost."_

As the battle raged around them, Eren and the man squared off, looking each other in the eye, waiting for the next one to make a move.

The man dove in for Eren's neck. Eren blocked it and grabbed his arm, pulling him to the side and slashing at his arm, the blade cutting through the fabric, tearing into the blonde's skin and leaving a long bleeding cut.

The man backstepped, holding his wounded arm as he glared at Eren. He looked around, seeing a lot of the Sina soldiers dead or wounded, he called out, "Everyone retreat!" Before he ran off into the woods. The rest of the soldiers did the same.

Eren pointed at the blonde, "Stay away from Annie, you hear!" He shouted, watching as the figures disappeared behind the trees.

The young knight turned around to see the results of a battle. Both sides had their casualties. Men he has seen around town, gutted. Blood everywhere. Corpses staring only at him. Levi walked over to him, reaching up with his hand and rubbing some of the blood off of Eren's cut, "You look fine. You're good, kid." He said before tending to the wounded. He saw all of the knights were fine. Some mildly wounded, but not too much.

As Levi turned away from the kid, crouching by a dying soldier. The words Eren had said to the Warrior ran through his mind. _The kid seems to be slipping_, he thought as he nodded to the soldier and used a knife to slit his throat, putting him out of his misery. He stood up, "We'll set up camp not too far from here. Get the wounded, leave the dead and dying."

A/N: Brutal stuff, huh? Probably not. But men did use to slit the throats of the dying to put them out of their misery. Anyway I hope you all enjoyed it! Thank you for reading!


	16. Hide

A/N: Remember when I talked about there being a period where chapters will be posted slower than usual? Well that won't be happening, as I have finished writing the whole story. Just need to post them each day. I hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 16: Hide**

Annie smiled to herself as she stood up, handmade bow in hand, which was basically a long yew branch with string from the fibers she got. Holding it out, she closed one eye and used to fingers to pull back on the string slightly, as to not dry loose. That would damage the bow, and she did not want to make another one. Letting go of the string, it went back into position.

She felt proud in herself. Now all she needed to do was to find materials to create arrows. It was dark, so she would have to do it in the morning. Tonight, she feasts on her prey.

Annie took the rabbit meat she cooked and bit into the hard meat, relishing the taste of the dead animal while her eyes glanced at the fire. The dancing flames leapt and licked in all directions, giving an aura of light around her, the darkness retreating a few steps.

Just this morning she said goodbye to her lover, with no knowledge of whether or not he will make it. The thought already put a tear to her eye, but she knows she can't be weak. Not now. She can be weak once she is in Eren's arms once again. What if one of the Warriors ambushed him? He could be dead in a moment. _No, stop thinking like that, _she thought to herself, scolding her mind, _Eren will come back_.

The forest was filled with a strange silence, a kind of silence one would take note of. But Annie was too busy eating and thinking of Eren to take note. If she did, she could have gotten more ready when she learns someone is in the forest with her. And it's not Eren.

As she was looking at the fire, a twig snapped somewhere in the distance. Her head turned instantly to the source. Quickly, she stamped out the fire, dropped her half-eaten meat, and picked up her bow, slinging it across her body.

She crept several feet away from the fire and hid behind a tree. By this time her eyes had already adjusted to the darkness. In fact, her whole body has gone into predator mode. Her feet are on their tips, like a cat. Her hands are at the ready to attack. And all of her senses are heightened.

She could hear the boots of a Warrior crushing the grass below. She knew exactly who it was, just by listening to their walk pattern.

"Annie...I know you're there…" Her old friend Bertholdt whispered, his body also in predator mode. But this time, Annie was the prey.

He looked down at the fire, seeing the embers still within, alive and glowing. He nudged it with his boot, "Having a little campfire, are we? Oh...and a little dinner?" He asked, picking up the rabbit meat, he looked at it, "You have always been a great hunter, Ann, getting us all kinds of meat when we were younger and out camping."

Annie frowned at his mention of their past. _Those were better times_, she thought to herself, _when everyone was not at each other's throats._

Quickly, she crept farther away, keeping the tall man in her sights. She did not have any arrows on her, but she could kill him by only using the bow. Just put it around his neck, and with enough force, she could twist and snap it. She always uses the element of surprise to her advantage.

The only problem is that this is her friend. A childhood friend. She couldn't kill him. Not unless extreme circumstances are applied. So for now, she is hiding.

Annie glanced over at a nearby tree, her eyes constantly switching back to the tall man hunting for her. She took one step towards it. Then another. Then another. Then anothe-_snap_! Annie's foot stepped on a twig, breaking it and sending a soundwave to Bertholdt's ear. Annie's eyes widened.

Bertholdt head snapped toward the source of the sound, "Annie?...Is that you?" He asked, a wide smile on his face, walking to where he had heard the sound. Slowly, one foot after the other, he made his way towards Annie. He placed his hand on a tree and rounded the corner, his knife out and at the ready.

But no one was there.

He sheathed his dagger, frowning and looking around.

"Annie?"

Luckily, people seldom look up.

The girl he was searching for was way up high, in the highest of the trees.

If there was one thing she knew for a while, it's that Reiner did _not_ like her being in the Warriors. She always saw him scowling at her from behind her back. Maybe it was because she was a woman. Maybe it was because she was better. Or maybe it's both. Reiner couldn't accept the fact that she was the better fighter, the better runner, and the better _climber_.

When the two boys only got to the highest branches, she got to the top. And she did so in record time with the smallest amount of noise possible. It made Reiner jealous, and it made Bertholdt impressed.

But now Reiner has gotten to Bertholdt, corrupted his mind, controlling him. And now, here he was, hunting his friend, wanting to take her somewhere. Back to Stohess. To execution. She will _not_ let that happen.

So here she was, hanging from the top of a tree, looking down at the poor ant that was Bertholdt, looking around for his old friend. His old friend, Annie, who he is willing to kill for his town. _Was it worth it? Has your mind been that muddled with bullshit? Why do you listen to Reiner?_ Annie's eyes sadly followed her friend.

Eventually, Bertholdt stopped looking, "Alright. You win, Leonhardt! For now! Just remember this! Once Jaeger enters this little _magical_ forest of yours, there will be a hunt for him too! For _both_ of you! I am staying here, Leonhardt! This is my new home! You will always be on your toes! Looking over your back! And I will be there!" He called out, looking around after his speech.

Thinking he has said enough, he growled, "Catch you around, Annie!" He said before running off.

Annie began to climb down, her thoughts running at a fast pace through her mind. _Eren is in danger if he comes here. And it will be all my fault. I have to stop him. But what if he catches me?_ Before she could reach the bottom, she made a slip and fell off the tree, falling a few feet and landing on the ground. Hard. The wind was knocked right out of her, leaving her gasping for air for a few seconds before she regained her breath.

She rolled onto all fours, coughing and sputtering. _I have to warn Eren...as soon as he gets here...as long as Bertholdt does not get to him_. _Oh god...I hope he is doing alright._

Eren stared at the flames as the groans of the wounded surrounded him. The screams and cries of agony. The sounds of bones being sawed through and skin being burnt. The smell of the latter filled his nostrils with the scent of dead animals. His cut still bled slightly, but nothing serious.

He didn't want to be here. He wanted to go home. To Mikasa, and his friends. And Annie.

The flames licked at him, wanting to burn him for what he has done. His hands were covered in blood.

He killed two men today. Two men with families. Two men who used to have lives. And now he ended them.

He always thought of the life as a knight to be adventurous and magnificent. Like when he played pretend with his friends, he went on all sorts of adventures, saving the princess from an evil sorcerer or a huge fire-breathing dragon. And afterwards they would all celebrate and the knight would marry the princess.

This wasn't like this. There was no princess, no evil sorcerer, no fire-breathing dragon, and definitely no wedding. All that welcomed him was death and misery. He killed two men who were just doing what they were told, hoping that they could feed their family with the money they got. Those families are ruined now. Because of him. Because of this war. Because King Fritz just _had_ to die.

_How can I get used to this?_ He asked himself, the flames shining in his green eyes. _I can't even kill two people without feeling horrible. I am pathetic_.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He flinched, his head snapping up to see who it was.

"Hey Eren...you alright?" Jean asked him, obviously concerned for his lover's brother.

Eren blinked and sighed, shrugging, "I don't know, Jean. Today was my first time in battle, and...the blood of those men I killed are on my hands."

Jean nodded and looked at the flames, "Yeah, I killed four of them before they decided to retreat. Now all I think about are their families. They lose a father, or a brother, or a son...just so that I can live on to begin my _own_ family."

Eren looked at his sister's lover, his thoughts on him becoming more positive. Before, when he was a knight who never experienced battle, he was cocky, annoying, and unpleasant. Now that he has seen the face of war, he has shown his sympathy, his understanding, and his troubles.

They decided to sit there, silent, and watch the flames together.

A few minutes later, a small knight walked up, "Jaeger."

Eren looked to see Levi standing next to him, looking down at him. Eren quickly got up, "Yes sir?"

Levi gestured for him to follow, "Come with me, we need to speak."

Eren looked at Jean, who shrugged, and followed after his captain.

They walked in silence, only the cries of wounded soldiers filling the air to stifle the quietness of the scene. It was unsettling.

Levi led his old student up to his tent on the hill which had a view of the whole camp. Levi had two chairs set up at the edge of the hill. He gestured to Eren, "Please, sit, we have something to discuss."

Eren sat down on one chair, looking ahead to see the camp. In some of the tents, the light inside casted shadows of the tormented soldiers, groaning and writhing in pain.

Levi sat down next to him, his eyes gliding over the camp with pity, "I am sending the largely wounded ones home. Some will not be able to walk, others to move, or hold, or see…" He muttered, looking at Eren, who was looking down at his hands.

Levi placed a hand on Eren's shoulder, "Eren...what is wrong?"

Eren turned his head to look at his teacher, "I...I killed men today...and I don't feel..._good_." He said, emphasizing the last word. He noticed Levi nodding, taking his hand off of Eren and clasping them together as old memories past through his head.

"When I was a...young knight, like you, I was caught up in a civil war that only happened in the city of Maria. My first kill was a father, who had his family at his back, but was coming at me with a pitchfork. I had no choice.

"His head flew farther than any arrow. His family...cried louder than any infant. His blood...spattered all over me, was redder than any rose. And the worst part? I had no choice but to continue killing. To continue...ruining families. To continue making my hands saturated in their blood. Afterwards, when the streets were running with blood, my captain, Erwin Smith, the commander now, told me one thing. He told me, 'It's war...people die...and you will be at fault, we all will be. But you're a Marian Knight now, and if there is one thing you must get used to...it's death...for the good of Maria...'"

Levi looked at Eren, who was giving a blank face, not showing his thought processes. Eventually, he took a deep breath, then he nodded, "...You're right...my apologies, Captain."

Levi shook his head, "No...no...it's alright...but I didn't bring you here to talk about the war."

Eren looked at Levi, cocking an eyebrow, "Then what did you bring me here for?"

Levi looked back down at his hands and sighed, "Another story. When I was a young boy, training to be a knight, like you were, I was...I was in love...with a young lady. Not Hange. This was a friend of mine for a long time.

"Her name...was Isabela...uhhh...Magnolia. She was a beautiful girl...and we loved each other. I was planning on asking for her hand in marriage when...when her father stepped in. Said he did not want me in her life, and that she is already in an arranged marriage with another friend, Farlan Church. And you know what I did? I backed off...reluctantly, but I backed off. Because I knew that in life...you can't always get what you want.

"Now recent events have led me to believe that someone has went against my commands." He said, getting up, he began to walk around and stand behind his student, "They have threatened out loud to a soldier about the thing I commanded them to sever all ties with." His tone began to get harder as he walked around to Eren's right side. He stared straight at Eren, but Eren was looking ahead, sweat falling down his temple.

Levi cleared his throat, "If I were to learn, some how, that one of my men is visiting an enemy behind my back…" He inhaled, then exhaled, "...I will not hesitate to kill them _both_ myself…for the good of Maria..." His tone shifted to a more steely one, cutting right through Eren.

Levi sighed, then patted his student on the shoulder before walking to his tent, "Get some sleep, Jaeger." He said before opening the flap to his tent and closing it behind himself.

Eren stared at the stars, laying on the ground, his eyes wide as thoughts ran through his head. _He knows_, he thought to himself, _he knows, and he is going to kill Annie and I. Oh...fuck..._

A/N: Like always, comment if something is wrong. Yeah so not much action in this, but a lot of intensity. Next chapter will have more of that. I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading!


	17. Return

A/N: I have realized that my organization of this story is kind of messed up. I promise that the next fanfic I do will be better organized. My apologies.

**Chapter 17: Return**

**One week later**

"Oh thank god you are here! She just fell ill and I don't know what to do! I can't lose her, please! She is so young! I can't lose her!" The young hysterical mother told Mikasa, who nodded and placed her hands on the mother's shoulders.

"Let me see your daughter, Hannah. From the symptoms, it just sounds like another case of the cold."

Hannah nodded, wringing her hands as she stepped out of the way to let Mikasa into her home. The young woman has been getting a lot of calls now that all of the mothers' husbands are off to war. Not that she is complaining. She needs things to do.

Mikasa smiled at the mother before walking in, reaching into her satchel to check and see if she had the mint and horehound with her, which she did. She also had another herb she was starting to use. She pulled out a cone-shaped plant, handing it to the mother, "These are called hops. Put them in her pillow so that she can get to sleep easier."

Hannah looked at the plant, nodding, "Uh...yes, I will...thank you…"

Mikasa smiled and shook her head, "Don't mention it."

As they reached the child's door, Hannah opened it for the woman. Mikasa walked in and looked at the child, who was covered in blankets. A faint cough was heard from the small brunette girl. Mikasa crouched down and smiled at the child, "Hello, little one. How are you feeling?"

The girl coughed, "I...I feel better than yesterday."

Mikasa nodded, looking back at Hannah, "Usually, children get over the cold, it's not that fatal."

"What do you mean by _that_?" Hannah asked, panicked.

"I mean, if the child is taken care of and not in a horrible place, they won't die."

Hannah sighed in relief, then her eyes widened, "Is this place good?"

"It's perfect."

The young mother sighed in relief again, "Thank the heavens."

Mikasa smiled and stood up, walking over to Hannah, "You are doing great for a first time mother. Let me just tell you about a few things to help you next time okay?"

Hannah looked at the plant in her hands, then nodded, "Okay, what else?"

Mikasa reached into her satchel and produced a jar of mint leaves, she took out a few and gave them to the mother, "This is mint. Turn it into a sauce and serve it to your daughter. That shall restore her appetite. And another thing." She said, pulling out a jar of horehounds. She pulled out a few of those and gave them to Hannah, "Boil these into a liquid, serve them to your daughter. It will taste horrible, but it should take care of her coughing. And remember what I said about those hops."

Hannah smiled and nodded, looking at the plants in her hands, "Th-thank you...uhm...anything else?"

Mikasa shook her head, "Just keep her warm, and this whole thing shall blow over. She will be fine, Hannah."

Hannah placed the plants on a nearby table and hugged the woman, "Thank you, Mikasa. Thank you!"

Mikasa hugged the young mother back, "It's nothing, Hannah, really. It's normal for a first-time mother such as yourself to panic when their child is sick. You did the right thing." She said, pulling away, "Anyway, I should get going. Remember what I said." Mikasa smiled before walking out of the house, Hannah following close behind. As Mikasa stepped past the threshold of the door, she turned around to say goodbye before a shouting came from down the street.

"The army has returned!" Sasha shouted, running down to Mikasa and skidding to a halt in front of her, bending over to get a breather, "They're back...Mika. To rest and get more supplies and soldiers. I saw Eren and Jean." She said, straightening her body out as she caught her breath.

Mikasa's eyes widened, "Back?"

Hannah smiled, "So...Franz is back?"

Sasha looked at Hannah and sighed, shrugging, "I didn't see him."

Hannah's eyes widened, "I have to see them. Now."

Sasha nodded, "Both of you, follow me." She said before taking off, running back the way she came. Mikasa and Hannah looked at each other before following after her.

Eren stared at the mane of his horse as he and some of the army were brought to Shiganshima. Eren has seen things. He has found out what intestines looked like, what a man with no arms can do, and what happens to a man who has been castrated. And that was not all. Luckily, they were able to beat Sina's forces back a bit, and Sina has lost more men than them. This war is going in Maria's favor.

But Eren was glad to be back, to rest a bit at home, to eat some of Mikasa's cooking, to see Annie's face again. Levi's warning stills rings through his mind, but all it did was make Eren plan to be more careful when going out to the forest. Nothing can stop him from going to see the love of his life. Nothing.

Eren looked back up to see his town in sight, and a group of people standing around, with three familiar women smiling and waving, except for one of them. As he got closer, he saw that is was Mikasa, Sasha, and Hannah. Hannah looked worried. He knew why.

He pulled on his reins to stop in front of the three ladies, with Jean following up behind him. The horse-faced knight jumped off his horse and ran over to hug Mikasa, who hugged him back, giving him a passionate kiss, "Hey, Mika, I missed you so much."

Mikasa smiled and nodded, "I missed you too, Jean."

Eren jumped off his horse. He looked to Sasha, "Where is Connie?"

Sasha smiled at Eren, "He is training to be a swordsman. He will be joining you guys tomorrow."

Eren nodded, "Oh, really? Interesting."

That's when Hannah stepped in, "Eren...where...where is Franz?"

The young knight looked down and sighed as Mikasa and Jean looked at him. He looked back up, "He is still alive, thankfully."

Hannah's eyes shone, "Please, take me to see him."

The army had already set up camp. There were specific tents that carried the wounded in them. Franz Kefka was in one of them.

As Eren led Franz's wife Hannah to the one he was in, he explained to her what has happened, "He had a few knocks to the head, but no damage has been seen. Uhm...he has had his leg cut off-"

"What!?" Hannah cried, running to the medical tent. She pushed open the flap and ran in, looking around and stopping as she saw him.

Resting there he lied upon a bed, his eyes closed. A piece of cloth was wrapped around his head from the head wound and his leg was indeed gone, from the knee down. Hannah felt tears begin to roll down her cheeks as she watched him.

Eren ran in, his eyes seeing the scene before him. He walked over and placed a hand on Hannah's shoulder, "He will be fine. He just needs rest and then he will be alright. We are trying to find some way to give him some sort of...prosthetic. Like wooden. So he can at least walk. But he will still be able to see your daughter grow up. I can promise you that."

Hannah looked at Eren, her eyes filled with tears as she nodded, "Can...can I talk to him?"

Eren nodded, "Just not for too long, he needs rest. I will leave you two."

Hannah nodded, "Thank you…"

Eren turned around and headed out of the tent. He saw Jean and Mikasa in front of him.

Mikasa spoke up, "How is she?"

Eren shrugged, "I think she will be fine. At least Franz isn't dead."

Jean nodded, "True...anyway, I should get going. Need to talk to a few of my friends." He turned to his lover, "I will see you back at your house?"

Mikasa smiled and nodded, "Don't be too late."

"You got it." He said, kissing her before running off.

She turned her head to Eren, "Shall we get home?"

The young knight smiled slightly and nodded, "Yes, we shall."

Mikasa opened the door for her brother, who walked past her, nodding to her. That is when she noticed the cut on his cheek. She closed the door and walked over, a stern but curious look on her face.

"What is that?" She asked, grabbing his chin and pulling his face close to hers, earning a grunt from him as she ran her thumb across his cheek.

"It's...it's nothing Mikasa, just a nick…"

"Just a nick, my ass. Sit down." She said, pushing him onto a chair and sitting down across from him, "It seems to have scabbed. How'd you get it, Eren?"

Eren cocked an eyebrow and sighed, "I met...a Warrior, he attacked me. Nicked me, I nicked him more."

Mikasa nodded, "A Warrior, huh? One of Annie's friends?"

"Maybe," He said, remembering something, "Oh yeah...listen...Mika...about Annie...I have her."

Mikasa's eyes widened, "Excuse me?"

Eren sighed, "A couple of Annie's friends and I got Annie out of Sina, and we brought her out into the forest. She has a camp set up."

Mikasa blinked, "So that's why you went out all those days? To see Annie?'

Eren looked at her, pleading, "Please, Mika, don't tell anyone. I think Levi is threatening to kill me and Annie if he knows. Please. Just tell lies. I love Annie. You know how much I love her, Mikasa, so please-"

"I'll do it."

Eren's eyes widened, "Really?"

Mikasa nodded, "Yeah, but you owe me."

"How much?"

"After this war is over, _you_ will have to deal with the panicking new mothers."

Eren sighed and laughed, "Yeah...yeah, of course...thank you, Mika." He said, leaning in to wrap his arms around her.

The sister smiled and wrapped her arms around her brother, "Go, now. Before anyone gets here."

Eren looked up at his sister and nodded, "Yeah, of course. I will be back by dinner." He said, walking over to the door, opening it, he turned around, "Or tomorrow." He said, closing the door behind him as he ran off into the forest.

Mikasa smiled and shook her head, "That's my brother." She said to herself.

Eren ran through the forest, dodging under low hanging branches, and jumping over rocks and roots. It was not long before he entered the practice area, stopping in front of the tree, his armor silencing it's jingling as he pointed in the direction of the camp, "She is over there." He said, continuing his way to the camp.

Annie has been forced to sleep in the trees, which was hard to do, but she has done it before. Her father had trained her to sleep up high on skinny objects, just in case she ever needed to spend days spying on her enemy. And now she is using it against her own, who was hunting her down like an animal.

She opened up a little bag she made out of the rabbit skin she got, taking out a few berries she picked and placing them in her mouth, savoring the taste before swallowing them down.

That was when she heard the sound of footsteps and metal jingling off in the distance, going to the area of her camp. _Who could that b-_ Her eyes widened as she realized who it was. Quickly she dashed from branch to branch, hoping to make it to Eren in time before Bertholdt does.

Eren stepped upon the scene of Annie's camp. The fire was out, the meat laying nearby had maggots in it, and some of Annie's supplies and tools were hanging around. It's almost like she left in a hurry. And the place had a strange feel to him, like someone was watching him.

The young knight began to feel worried for his lover, his eyes scanning the environment for her. He sighed, "Annie?"

First there was silence. No one, not even the wind, answered his question. Only one voice broke the silence.

"No...but I'm here…"

Eren turned around.

Annie jumped onto the nearest branch, hearing her lover's voice. As she reached the branch, she got a good view of the camp, and was horrified. She was late. _He _was here. And the worst part is that all she has is a branch bow and a rock, compared to his...longsword?

"You're that one guy...Bertholdt." Eren said, finding it queer that the tall Warrior was carrying a knight's weapon in his right hand.

Bertholdt smiled, "That's right, Jaeger. It's me. After you left your bride out here to go to war, Reiner asked me if I would give her a visit. Everyday. Haven't seen her yet, but I am hoping your arrival will draw her out."

Eren cocked an eyebrow, "Bride?"

The taller man frowned, growling, "Yes...I saw you two in the forest that one night. You...you fucking proposed to her."

Eren frowned back, pulling his sword out, "It was meant to be a memory of me. And a reminder that we _would_ get married after the war."

Bertholdt's free hand slowly began to wrap around the handle of the sword, just below his right hand, "Oh really? Well...I am here to make sure that doesn't happen!" He shouted, swinging the sword in a wide arc towards Eren.

Eren's eyes widened as he quickly blocked the attack, pushing Bertholdt's sword to the side so that he can backstep away from the madman.

"Come on, we can talk this out!" Eren pleaded, eyes wide.

Bertholdt ran at him, "We have nothing to talk about!" He swung at the knight.

Eren dodged to the side, the sword instead digging itself deep into the tree that was once behind the young man. Bertholdt began to pull it out.

Eren decided there was no use trying to get this guy to calm down. He raised his sword and swung at the taller man's head.

Bertholdt looked at Eren and pulled the sword out, blocking the attack and pushing the knight away.

_Where is Annie? _Eren thought as he blocked an attack coming at him, attempting to counter Bertholdt's attack. Bertholdt quickly rammed his shoulder into Eren's chest, sending him to the ground. Bertholdt held the sword over his head, Eren's eyes widening before he rolled out of the way of the attack. _Why can't she help me?_

Annie was panicking. She didn't know what to do. She had to get some kind of weapon. But her stone knife is horrible and her bow has no arrows. _Wait,_ she thought, turning around to run on the branches of trees to get back to her "tree camp". She had cut a hole into the tree to put things in. And she had a piece of flint and fibers in there. _Perfect for an arrow_, she thought to herself, reaching the tree, her hand entering the small hole to get the flint and fibers. Quickly she reached for a decent sized branch and pulled it off, cutting off any unwanted parts before she began to tie the flint to the stick with the fibers. _I can't do fletching, but I won't need it. Just hold on, Eren._

Eren ducked under Bertholdt's blade, deciding to tackle him to the ground, both of them dropping their swords. Eren held the tall man to the ground, raising his fist and punching him in the face. Bertholdt felt around him as his face was being pounded. His fingers wrapped around a big rock.

Bertholdt smirked as he swung the rock up to club Eren in the side of the head, the young man falling over onto the ground.

A bit dazed, Eren reached his hand up, feeling the side of his head and pulling his fingers into view to see blood dripping down. He only had a few seconds before he saw Bertholdt get up and grab his longsword. Eren looked around for his weapon, and spotted it right behind the tall Warrior. He cursed himself.

Bertholdt came sweeping down at Eren's feet. Eren pushed himself back, but Bertholdt swung again, and Eren pushed back. The whole time, Bertholdt had this insane look in his eyes as he attempted to kill Eren.

Eventually, Eren reached behind him for his hand to find no more land. He looked over his shoulder, seeing that he was on the edge of the cliff, with the ocean below crashing against the rocks. Cornered.

Bertholdt gave a wicked smile as he brought the sword up to strike. Eren pulled his arms up to block.

But the strike didn't come. Eren slowly pulled his arms down to see Bertholdt drop the sword, the weapon hitting the ground with a _clang_. His hands went straight to his side, and Eren could see why.

An arrow was lodged into Bertholdt's side, bleeding profusely. The tall Warrior tried to stop it from bleeding, covering it up as much as he could, but it kept falling out. Eren looked off to the side to see Annie, holding a bow made from a branch, with a slightly scared look on her face.

Bertholdt looked at his old friend, "A-Annie...w-why?" He asked, the pain almost too much for him as his face twisted.

Annie's face changed to a more serious one. She threw the bow aside and walked over. Once she reached Bertholdt, she looked him up and down before saying, "You let Reiner into your head." She stepped back, balancing herself on one leg, and shooting her other leg out, her foot catching itself in Bertholdt's stomach.

The force was so great it sent the tall man staggering backward, trying to regain footing, before he tripped on his sword and went over the edge of the cliff. His screams echoed the whole way down before the abrupt end.

Eren's eyes were wide with astonishment at the scene that just transpired. Quickly he pushed himself up, breathing heavily. He looked at Annie, "Annie…?"

Annie, also breathing heavily, fell to her hands and knees, crawling over to the side of the cliff and looking over, her face now in complete horror over what she just did, "Oh...oh god...what have...what have I done?" She asked, her voice cracking as tears began to fall out of her eyes and into the ocean below.

Eren crouched down next to her, placing a hand on her back and rubbing it up and down. She turned her head to look at Eren before quickly wrapping her arms around his chest, holding herself close to him, "He was my friend, Eren...he was my friend...and I just murdered him...like nothing…"

Eren nodded, his arms wrapping around her to pull her close as they embraced by the edge of the cliff, "He...tried to kill me Annie...there was nothing you could do. It was like...he was possessed…"

Eren could feel her shuddering body close to his, the pain of what she had done too great to be shared alone. He kissed the top of her head before turning to look at the sunset. Eren was amazed at how beautiful this world can look when such horrors like murder occur on a daily basis. It was almost sickening…

A/N: This was probably one of the most researched chapters I did. With the making of the arrow, and the herbs and what to do it was just a lot of stuff to read. But it was fun. Anyway if something is wrong, please comment. I hope you guys enjoyed. Thank you for reading!


	18. Bloodlust

A/N: Probably the most flip floppy chapter. From smut to war.

**Chapter 18: Bloodlust**

After a while, Eren and Annie walked over to the camp so that they could start a fire, as it was getting quite cold. Eren decided to do it, as Annie was still too grief stricken to do it herself. As he picked up the stone and flint, he crouched down and began to strike the stone with the flint. The young man noticed his hands were shaking too, but not too much. He struck again, and again, until finally he started a warm crackling fire.

Eren decided to pull off all of his armor, so that he could get in closer with his lover. As he began to unfasten his suit, he felt other hands unfastening parts of his suit. He looked over his shoulder to see Annie, concentrated on getting him out of his armor, her hands still shaking. She glanced up at him and gave a faint smile before getting back to unfastening.

In a minute, he was already out of his suit and holding onto Annie as she rested her head against his chest, watching the fire flicker and sputter violently, but it seemed to calm her down a bit. Her sapphire eyes were gleaming and the fire reflected off of her tears. It looked quite beautiful to Eren, and would've been more beautiful if the reason she had those tears were nonexistent.

Annie turned her head up to look at Eren, her sapphires looking into his emeralds, as he did with her. The boy leaned his head down to hers, and she closed the gap, meeting his lips with hers. Even after a week, they both missed the taste of each other. When all else failed, this could comfort them both. But there was something they both wanted to try. A thirst that must be quenched. A craving that must be fulfilled.

Eren pushed his lips harder against hers, with Annie grabbing the sides of Eren's face and pulling him down so that she was on top. She straddled his hips, smirking down at him, playing with his tassels, "I... need to get my mind off of what happened today…" She muttered, looking almost sad, "Please, Eren...I want to try this…"

Eren smirked back, cocking an eyebrow, "But...what about your fath-"

"Screw him, he hates me right now."

Eren raised both eyebrows, "...It's my first ti-"

"And you fucking think it's not mine?" She asked.

Eren shook his head, "No-no...I was...just saying…"

Annie silenced his talking with a kiss, a very passionate one, before pulling back, "Eren...do you want this?"

Eren blinked, "D-do I? Well, I-I mean...yes...yeah, I do." He said, his hands sliding down her back and resting on her lower back.

The young woman bit her lip, "Then let's do this…"

Annie slowly opened her eyes to sunrise and a burnt out campfire. She smiled to herself. _Last night was...great, _she thought to herself. But something felt weird. Her eyes opened up as she felt no warm arms around her tiny waist.

She quickly pushed herself up, her eyes adjusting to the sunlight as it found it's way past the many branches into her face. She could hear the jingling of armor, and the breathing of a loved one. As soon as her eyes adjusted, she spotted Eren getting his armor back on. Annie sighed and pushed a fringe of her messy hair behind her ear, just to have it fall back into place.

Eren glanced up from his armor to see his love fully, or partially, awake. He smiled as he went back to his armor, "Last night...that was something special, Annie, it really was." He said, fastening his greaves to his legs.

Annie crawled over and began to help him fasten armor to his upper body, "It was...it really was…" She muttered, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek, "I have never felt so great in my life."

Eren finished fastening his lower body, just as Annie was finishing up with his upper body, "I am sorry I have to leave so early."

Annie shook her head, "No...no, it's fine. You have to get going, I understand. Just remember to be careful…" She finished up his upper body, looking at him, "...and to be safe."

Eren smiled and nodded, placing his hands on her shoulders to lean up and kiss her on the forehead, "I will see you hopefully soon." He said, standing up and walking over to where he dropped his longsword yesterday after fighting Bertholdt.

He bent down and picked up the sword, looking at it. He could see his reflection in the shining steel. _The sight of a killer,_ he thought to himself as he sheathed it in his scabbard.

Eren turned around to see Annie standing up, waiting for him. He smiled as he walked back to his love. He leaned down to kiss her, "I'll miss you. Be safe." He said.

Annie smiled, "I will miss you too. Be on your guard."

Eren nodded and hugged her before pulling back and walking past her to get back to town.

Levi looked up at the sun as he sat on his horse at the camp, everyone around him preparing to leave while he was waiting for one of his knights.

He saw Jean canter by on his chestnut horse, "Jean...have you see Jaeger?"

Jean pulled on the reins, stopping his horse. He looked at his captain, "Uh...no sir, not since yesterday."

Levi gestured to Jean that he could go by swiping his hand up, "You may go."

Jean nodded and nudged his horse with his spurs, "Alright." He said, moving off.

The captain watched his knight ride off before he heard a galloping getting louder and louder. He turned his head to see a young man on a brown horse, riding towards the captain.

"There he is." Levi said, waiting as Eren reined in his horse next to Levi's.

"Sorry sir. I, uhm, I overslept." Eren said, looking around at the army preparing.

Levi nodded, his eyes narrowing a bit, "It's alright, Sir Jaeger. Your lucky we have not left already. Are you ready?"

Eren nodded, "Yes, sir...uh yes. I am ready."

"Then just hang around, we are almost done."

Eren nodded, "Yes, sir." He said, nudging his horse with his new spurs.

He rode around the camp, watching all of the soldiers preparing themselves for war. He stopped his horse when he saw one familiar face, "Connie?"

The smaller man was standing around, watching the preparation around him, wearing small iron armor with a broadsword strapped to his side. His head snapped up to see his friend on a horse, "Oh, hey Eren. Almost forgot you were a knight."

Eren laughed and reached down to shake hands with Connie, "That's understandable. So you're a swordsman now, huh? How did Sasha take with you going into war?"

Connie shrugged, "She took it fine, just told me to make it back alive. And I have done my good amount of training, so I will be fine."

Eren nodded, "I trust you man. But do be careful out there."

Connie smiled, "Of course, Eren, and you too. Don't want a usual prank victim to be dead."

Eren narrowed his eyes, "I am still pissed about the cold."

Connie nodded, "Good."

"Alright, form the ranks!" Levi shouted, watching as the whole army ran to get into place. His knights lined up right behind him, all on their beautiful horses, while the army stood behind them, some on horses, others on their feet.

Eren watched Levi as he rode back and forth in front of his army, "Men! Today, I have received word of a war party patrolling around Maria! And it is told to me that the leader of this war party...is Captain Leonhardt!" He shouted, silence following afterwards. This is because Levi took a moment to look at Eren, who looked down, not wanting to be on the receiving end of this glare.

He continued, "So...we are going to greet his war party with our own! Remember, men! If you see the captain! Kill him! Let's move out!"

The whole army cheered and roared, while Eren sat there, his eyes locked on his horse's mane. _I am going to meet Annie's father,_ he thought to himself, _live in combat._

For around ten days they have rode around these fields surrounding Maria. Just miles and miles of green hills and some trees here and there. It was almost peaceful...if it wasn't for the gigantic army marching through it with murderous intent.

Levi's eyes squinted from the blinding sun, surveying the land that spread out in front of him as his horse and a bunch of others horses and men walked down the plains. Eren could already feel the sweat slide down his skin, as did probably every other soldier. Except for Levi, strangely.

Eren's eyes, while strained by the sun, spotted a small black dot in the distance. _Just the sun playing tricks on me_, he thought to himself. But the dot was getting bigger. And bigger. Growing as he and the army got closer.

He decided to pull his horse up a bit farther so that he could ride next to Levi. He kept his eyes on the dot getting bigger, "Sir...I think there's a-"

"I see it." Levi said, turning to his student, "Get ready, Jaeger. This will be a big one. We'll charge on my mark." He said.

Eren nodded and slowed his horse to that he could get back into position. The black dot was growing wider now. After a while, he could see the glint of the armor, and hear the noises their horses made. They were getting closer. Much closer.

Everyone fell silent as they walked on, waiting for Levi. The captain was planning this right now. Timing is everything. And at just the right time, he yelled, "Charge!"

The whole army roared as altogether they advanced the enemy. Eren's eyes widened as he saw the other side do the same. He couldn't stop himself as he nudged his horse with his spurs, and the creature sped towards the army. He could feel the other knights around him, doing the same as they charged the opposing side. As Eren got closer, his blood pumped faster, his reflexes felt faster, and his body felt stronger.

He raised his arm and swung his sword at incoming cavalry, the head of a lancer falling off his body and onto the floor, the body slumping as the horse carried it away, the stump of a neck spurting blood like a fountain.

Just then the infantry of Maria met that of Sina, and they clashed, the sounds of metal against metal clanging through the air. Already the screams and cries of wounded and dying soldiers reached Eren's ears. The roars of combat echoed across the plains, adding to the already combined noises of war.

Eren saw another cavalryman coming at him, sword at the ready. The young knight rode his horse towards the man, raising his sword and swinging. Their swords met with a clang, sending sparks flying as the metal caught the metal. They circled around on their horses, swords connecting almost constantly. The man tried to thrust at Eren, but the young man caught the other's blade with the cross section of his.

They struggled, swords locked, their eyes meeting each others. With a roar, Eren pushed the man's sword away and twirled his own sword down onto the man's wrist, cutting through the skin until his blade made it out the other side. The man's separated hand fell to the ground, still clutching the sword in it's grasp. The man pulled his dismembered arm up to look at the stump. He began to cry in pain, but was cut off as Eren plunged his blade into the man's chest. Pulling it out, the man fell forward, off the horse and onto the ground, making the grass beneath him soaked in blood.

Eren rode past a Sinan soldier, swiping his sword down upon him and lopping his head off. It was here Eren decided it was time to hit the ground. He rode his horse out of the battle and got off. Immediately a spearman attacked him, thrusting his weapon at the young knight. Eren leaned back and caught the spear in his cross guard, pushing it up and quickly slashing down diagonally across the man's chest, cutting in quite deep. The man dropped the spear and fell back, dead.

The heat of battle emanated off of the knight. He felt his wet hair cling to his wet skin. He felt the blood in his veins boiling. He felt the bloodlust. He wanted more.

Just then a familiar figure charged at him, this time armed with two short swords as he raised them above his blonde head. Eren blocked upwards, catching the two swords as the muscular Warrior got close to his face, sneering at him, "You think you can beat me now, Jaeger? You feel strong? Well I wonder how you will feel when I tell you that a Warrior is hunting for your dear Leonhardt?" He pulled back and tried swinging both swords at Eren's side, but the knight caught them again.

Eren pulled his face close into the Warrior's, "His name wouldn't happen to be Bertholdt, would it? Because as we speak he is at the bottom of the ocean with an arrow in his side."

The muscular Warrior's eyes widened at hearing this, "What?" He asked, pulling back, he swung one sword at Eren's neck, "You killed him!?"

Eren dodged under the blade, backstepping away. They squared off, circling each other, staring into each other's eyes. Eren shook his head, "I didn't kill him. Annie did. Shot an arrow in his side and kicked him off the cliff."

The man growled, shouting, "You're lying! You ruined everything!" And started swinging at Eren, who tried to block and dodge every attack, but got a few cuts from the storm of steel this man was throwing at him.

Eventually, Eren was able to block an attack and shoot his foot out at the man's stomach. He hit the steel plate, pushing it into his abdominal area. The man doubled over, dropping his swords and clutching his stomach. Eren came in, raising his sword above his head and swinging downwards.

The man saw this and quickly rolled out of the way. He got back on his feet, seeing that Eren was blocking the two short swords he was using. He cursed and looked over his shoulder, seeing the battle behind him starting to go towards one side, the Marians. He looked back at Eren, "This isn't over. We shall meet again, Jaeger! Reiner Braun will have your head!" He shouted before shouting, "Everyone! Retreat!"

The sounds of metal clanging against one another stopped and replaced with the sound of shouting as the Sinan soldiers retreated, leaving behind a field of bodies and blood.

Eren looked around, the bloodlust gone, at the surrounding area. He was almost surrounded by wounded, dying, and dead soldiers from both sides. While it seemed silent, the sound of two swords banging against each other lingered in the air.

Eren looked towards the source of the noise, his eyes widening. Captain Levi was in a swordfight with Captain Leonhardt, both carrying greatswords and swinging them at each other wildly. Levi dodged under a swing by Leonhardt, both of them raising their swords up to strike. Their blades clanged against each other, locked in a struggle as their owners fought over who would be the one dying today.

Levi pushed Leonhardt's blade down, holding it there as he pulled one hand away from the handle to backhand Leonhardt in the face, sending the older man to the side, falling on one knee as he looked at Levi. Levi raised his blade up and swung down, slicing off Leonhardt's sword arm, the now useless limb dropping on the floor with a _thump_. Leonhardt shouted in pain but kept the sound minimal, bending over, supporting himself with his still connected arm. His head turned up to see Levi, his blade on the nape of Leonhardt's neck.

Leonhardt spat on the ground at Levi's feet, "Do it." He hissed. Levi slowly raised the sword, his eyes giving no emotions away.

Eren ran over, holding a hand out towards the two, "Levi, wait!"

Levi swung the sword down onto Leonhardt's neck, cutting into the skin, through the bone and out the other side. Eren skidded to a halt, his eyes and mouth open wide in horror. The Sinan captain's head dropped to the floor. It rolled a few times before stopping at Eren's feet. The young knight could've sworn he saw the eyes blink before staring up at him with hatred.

Eren's breathing went irregular. _I didn't want him to die, _he thought to himself, _he could've been a prisoner. Sure, he was an ass, but I didn't want him to die. _His eyes raised up from the head of his lover's father, to the eyes of his captain.

The shorter man walked over, "He told me to do it. Besides, it's for the good of Maria." He said, stopping in front of his knight and looking down at the head of the Sinan captain.

He kicked it aside before stepping closer to Eren, checking the young knight, "You got a few deep gashes, but nothing to be worried about. We can easily stitch those up." He said before walking past Eren and surveying the area, "Many soldiers are dead or dying, a lot are wounded. Sir Jinn is dead. Sir Shultz and Sir Bozado have been heavily wounded, they are being treated, and Sir Kirschtein has also gotten a few deep gashes…" He said, turning to Eren, "...Deeper than yours, though."

Eren turned to his superior, nodding before he remembered something. Someone. His eyes widened as he scanned the surrounding area, "Connie!" He shouted.

A small grunt and a small, "Over here." Could be heard. Eren dashed in the direction of the source. Looking at the bodies as he ran. He then looked ahead and saw him.

The small young man lay in the grass, clutching an abdominal wound that was bleeding profusely. Eren's eyes widened more as he ran over, "Connie!" He shouted again, diving down on all fours as he got near. When he reached his friend, he got up on his knees and picked his friend up, pulling him onto his lap, causing the young soldier to cry in pain and grit his bloody teeth as he whimpered afterwards.

Eren supported his friend's head, allowing him to breath. Eren turned to the other soldiers scattered around the area, "Someone help!" He felt a hand clutch his arm. He looked back at his friend, who was shaking his head, "No...don't...I am not going to make it."

Eren hung his head and closed his eyes, "Connie...Connie don't say that. You're gonna make it, back to Shiganshima, back to Sasha."

Connie grunted in pain, "Agh...no...I won't...Eren...take good care of Sasha for me...promise me…"

"Connie...please don't talk like that. You're going to make it."

"No, he won't." His captain walked up behind the two. Eren turned his head to look at him. Levi's eyes contained sadness at the sight of this scene. He crouched down next to his knight, looking at the soldier in his arms, "How many have you killed, Connie?"

Connie coughed, glancing at Levi, "Three, sir...I've killed...I've killed three…"

Levi nodded, "That's good, soldier…" He said before patting Eren on the shoulder and standing up, "Keep him company, Jaeger…"

Eren looked up at his superior, tears threatening to fall down his cheeks, he held it in as he sniffed, "Y-...yes sir…" He said, looking back down at his friend, who looked up at him.

"Eren...promise me...to take good care of Sasha. Make sure that...urgh...make sure that she finds a good mate...one who can, agh, can protect her and-and love her. Please, Eren...promise me…"

Eren felt the tears fall down his face, "Connie...I-I don't know if-"

"Promise me!" Connie shouted, violently coughing a little blood up.

Eren closed his mouth and looked up at the sky before turning his head back down and nodding, "Okay...alright, buddy...I promise I will take care of Sasha…I promise…"

Connie gave a weak smile before turning his head to the side to vomit up blood. He breathed heavily as he turned back to Eren, a trickle of blood running down the corner of his mouth.

Eren reached over with his thumb to wipe the blood off of his mouth. Levi walked by, "Listen, Eren...he is in torment now. You did your talking...now end it…" He said, holding a dagger out to him by the blade.

Eren looked at the shining steel of the dagger, glancing up at Levi, "Captain...I don't think-"

"I know you can do it. You knew him longer. Now end it for him."

The young knight's eyes looked back at the blade in front of him. He gulped and exhaled before taking the blade by the handle. Eren put the blade up against the young soldier's throat. He glanced at Connie, who nodded.

Eren closed his eyes and pushed the blade in deep, blood hitting his face. He felt the life being cut out of the soldier as he pulled it out, successfully slitting his friend's throat.

The knight opened his eyes to see Connie with his throat slashed open and a bloody dagger in his own hand. He let go of the blade with shaking hands, letting it fall to the ground. He felt a hand on his shoulder, his captain crouching down next to him.

"You did the right thing, Eren. It's for the good of Maria." He said before standing back up and looking around at the area, "Men! We are going back to Maria tomorrow! We set up camp in the forest! Get the wounded ready! Leave the dead!"

A/N: Beautiful stuff. I hope you guys weren't hoping for more of Annie's dad. And Reiner has ran again. Great guy. Did the sex in the beginning seem too forced? Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed. If anything is wrong, please comment. Thanks for reading!


	19. Grief

**Chapter 19: Grief**

Eren stared ahead as he spotted Shiganshima in the distance, the cries of wounded soldiers being carried filling the air. The town was dark and looked melancholy, the clouds were closing in, like the sadness within him, building up the closer he gets. _I have to tell two people today that someone they loved is dead._ He could only imagine how Sasha would react. Connie and her were thick as thieves, where the only thing that could separate them was death. And death has separated them. She just doesn't know it yet.

Eren felt another presence ride up along side him. He turned his head to see Jean looking at him, "Hey Eren." He said, wincing a bit at one of the stitched wounds he had. Luckily, Eren's wounds were not too bad, but they still hurt, especially when being stitched. _But the pain could not compare to what I am about to do_, he thought to himself. Eren was set with the task to tell Sasha the news. He didn't want to do it, but it's Levi's orders. _But I haven't been following some of those orders as of recently_, he thought, blinking before remembering Jean was talking to him.

Eren snapped his head to Jean, who cocked an eyebrow at him, "You doing okay?" He asked.

The brunette knight nodded, "Yeah...yeah, I am just...you know...distracted."

Jean nodded, "Ahh, yeah. It is a shame about what happened to Connie, and it's horrible that you have to tell Sasha. I am sorry."

Eren gave a humorless laugh, "Don't be. I can...I can do it. You just go to my sister."

Jean sighed and nodded, "Alright." He said.

As they got closer to Shiganshima, Jean looked to the far side to see the Jaeger household. Jean looked back to Eren, "Well, take care, good luck with Sasha." He said before turning his horse towards Eren's house and riding towards it.

Eren nodded, "Thanks…" He muttered. His eyes stared at his horse's mane until he heard the hooves clopping on cobblestone. His head shot up, looking at the environment around him. He was in town, and the people were staring at him. He sighed and nodded to them before he nudged his horse to move to the stables.

As he closed the door to the box stall, he gave a faint smile to Rogue before locking the door and exiting the stables. He looked in the direction of Sasha's house, sighing as he turned and walked in that direction. Every step he took made his feet feel heavier. The weight on his shoulders became harder and harder to carry. He didn't want to do this. But he _had_ to. He was the one with Connie when he died, he was the one that put the young soldier out of his misery. So he should be the one to tell Connie's lover that he is dead. It is a horrible thing to tell someone, but it has to be done.

Eren stood in front of the door, thinking of ways to say the news correctly. He sighed, raising his hand. He hesitated before knocking on the door, a gentle rapping against the wood. The wait was making this ten times worse. _Maybe I should just go now_, he thought to himself, turning and looked at the street, but then shook his head, turning back to the door, _No, I must tell her_.

He heard the footsteps coming up to the door. Eren inhaled, then exhaled, his breath unsteady as he heard the doorknob turn and open wide to reveal his friend Sasha right in front of him. The young woman cocked an eyebrow at seeing Eren in front of her.

"Uh...hi, Eren, your back. Is the whole army back? Uhm...where is Connie?" She asked, looking over Eren's shoulder to see if her lover was there.

Eren glanced down, "Uhm...Sasha...m-may I come inside?" He asked.

Sasha blinked before nodding, stepping out of the way, "Yeah, of course...what's wrong?"

Eren walked past her, glancing sadly at her before he walked over to the table and pulled a chair out for her, "Sit." He muttered loud enough, pulling up a chair and sitting down across from her chair.

Sasha walked over and sat down in front of the young knight. She looked him in the eyes, "Eren...what's wrong?"

Eren tried to hold in the tears as he looked down to cover his face, "We were attacked by Sinan soldiers just outside of Maria's borders. We were able to push them back, but Connie…" He sighed before turning his head up. Sasha's face said she already knows what he is about to say. She was slowly shaking her head, he could see the tears threatening to come down, and her lips were mouthing _No...no...please_, but Eren had to continue.

"Connie...killed three soldiers before he was stabbed through the stomach area. I was with him in his final moments...and I was the one to...put him out of his misery. I am sorry, Sasha...I'm sorry…"

Sasha closed her eyes as tears began to fall down her cheeks, she sniffed, "It's n-not your f-fault. I under...understand...he knew the r-risks. I wouldn't want Connie to s-suffer in his f-final moments. I am g-glad that one of his friends was with him. Th...thank you, Eren...thank you…"

Eren reached over and grabbed her hands, "If you need anything, just ask. Take your time to mourn. Just don't hurt yourself. Okay?"

Sasha looked up at Eren, nodding, "Yeah...yeah...thank you…uhm...c-can I have some time alone?"

Eren nodded and let go of her hands, standing up, "See you later Sasha." He said before walking out of the house. He closed the door behind himself, almost instantly hearing a chair hit a wall and a scream of sadness was audible through the door. He shook his head, _Just give her time._

Walking down the steps to the street, a huge roar of thunder was heard, and, as if on cue, it began to rain.

Eren sighed and looked up, the water droplets hitting his face and blurring his vision. He wiped it off of his face as he looked down the street. _One down, one to go, and this one will be the worst._

Mikasa walked into the backyard, where she kept a small garden for medicinal herbs. She was wearing a dress with a skirt that stopped at her knees, so that it doesn't mess with her walking or any of the plants. First, she checks the mints, which she planted near a small pond, as mint grows better there. She crouched down next to the plants, using her hands to grab one and look at it. She looked in the leaves, on the underside and the stem.

"Perfect." She said, smiling as she stood up to go check on the lavender. Crouching down, she noticed something was wrong. The plant was brown and woody. Mikasa frowned at the sight as she stood up, looking up as the sun was blocked by the clouds. There was only a little sunlight today.

Mikasa cursed at the clouds, "God damn...fucking clouds! Why is the weather so fucking bipolar!"

Mikasa exhaled, calming down, as she heard a familiar voice, "Hey, Mika, got a problem?"

The young woman looked over to see her lover, Jean, leaning against the house, watching her. She smiled at the sight of him, running over and wrapping her arms around him, "You're back. It's been a while. What happened?"

"Problems. We got attacked, many of our men are dead. But you should see the other side."

Mikasa nodded, "Well it's good that you are okay. Is Eren alright?"

Jean nodded, "He is fine, I got wounded more than he did."

The woman looked down at his body, seeing a few stitches here and there. She bit her lip, glancing up at Jean, "Well, then let's get you inside. I can check on the plants later." She said, taking his hand and leading him into the house.

As soon as they got inside, Mikasa began to unfasten Jean's armor. Jean knew what was going on, "Mika, while I would love this, and trust me when I say that seeing you out there made me have thoughts, I am not sure it's good for my stitches."

Mikasa grinned, unfastening his whole upper body, "Nonsense. Besides it won't kill you if it loosens the stitches. Let's be honest, this will make you feel better than any clove."

Jean smiled and looked off to the side, slightly blushing. Mikasa unfastened Jean's lower body, leaving him in his trousers and doublet. He looked down at her and gave a short laugh, "You're right. We haven't done it in a while."

Mikasa smiled and kissed her lover before taking his hand and leading him upstairs.

Once he was under the cover of the trees, Eren sighed in relief. He would've ran to the forest, but he needed the time to think. _How should I say it? How will she react? Will she be happy? Or sad? Annie is such an unpredictable girl sometimes_.

The sounds of rain water on the forest trees filled the air, along with some droplets that made their way past all of the branches. Eren's brown hair was soaking wet, sticking to his forehead as water droplets slid down his face and dropped down onto the grass.

Other than the sound of water, the forest was relatively silent. He hoped the rain was not an inconvenience to his lover. Eren pushed a low hanging branch out of the way, entering the practice area. He stood next to the giant tree, looking up at the branches that spread out across the sky above like a web.

Eren placed a hand on the tree bark, all of the memories he has experienced with Annie in this exact place running through his mind. He leaned in, resting his head on the tree. _How has it come to this?_ He asked himself. _Telling the woman I love that my captain killed her father_. While he seemed like a rage filled tyrant, he knew that somewhere inside Annie, she keeps a love for her father.

Eren pulled his head up, turning it in the direction of the camp site to already see Annie in front of him. She looked at him with worry, taking a few steps forward, "...Eren...what's wrong…?" She asked.

Eren's eyes glanced down in sadness as she closed the gap between them and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Eren…"

The young knight turned his head up to look her in the eyes, his emeralds into her sapphires. Annie knew that something was wrong, but Eren was too uncomfortable to tell her. She leaned up and kissed him, pulling back, "You can tell me."

Eren looked down and nodded, "A few days ago...the army got attack by Sinan soldiers."

Annie nodded, "Yeah?"

Eren sighed, "They were being led by your father…"

The young Warrior's eyes widened, "My father...what happened?"

"He got into a fight with my captain, Levi, and...Levi won…"

Annie took a step back from Eren, and instead leaned her back against the tree, "Is he… is he dead?"

Eren gulped and nodded, "I am afraid that he is. I tried to stop my captain, I did, Annie, I really did-"

"No, no, don't blame yourself." She said, taking a deep shaky breath and closing her eyes, "I know he did some bad things to me, and he isn't the best man in the world...but," She muttered, feeling tears come out of her eyes, "But he is my father...you know?" She choked out, looking up at him, tears falling down her cheeks, "He was a good man...he was…"

Eren nodded and wrapped an arm around her waist, "I know, Annie. Come on, let's get a fire started...you should get warm."

Annie looked at him and nodded, allowing Eren to lead her back to the camp site. As they walked through the forest, she began to speak, her voice quivering, "One time...when I was...maybe five. My father took me and my mother to a harvest festival in the city of Sina. It was amazing...and he was with me the whole time, buying me whatever I wanted. I loved it."

Eren nodded and placed her down on the ground in front of the camp fire. She had some wood nearby as a surplus. Eren took the wood and put it in the camp fire pile. He took a stone and a piece of flint, striking one against the other. Annie spoke up again, watching the sparks fly.

"Another time...when I was ten, my father took me out camping as training, but we had a lot of fun. He taught me how to hunt and skin, and he cooked the meat, and told me stories of these amazing warriors, not my kind, the mythical kind. Then we spent the rest of the night watching the stars until I fell asleep."

Eren glanced at Annie, nodding as he was able to start up a fire, the flames coming to life. He took off his armor and sat back next to Annie, wrapping an arm around her as she leaned in to rest her head on his chest.

"There was another time...when I was sixteen. My father took me out to ride horses. We rode horses on the plains for hours, and it was just so...fun and peaceful. It had been a while since I rode a horse...and it was just the perfect time. I loved it."

Eren nodded, "He sounds like a good man. It's a shame the only time I have met him was when I was getting you out of his house. I am sorry, Annie."

Annie smiled faintly and kissed Eren, her eyes still producing tears to come down her cheeks, "Don't be, Eren, his blood is not on your hands. Just...stay with me for a while?"

Eren looked down at her, smiling and nodded, "Of course." He said, pulling her in close as she closed her eyes, resting against the love of her life. The flickering of the flames and the pattering of the rain put her to sleep.

After an hour or so, when the rain had stopped and the fire was dying, Eren decided it was time to go, before anyone realizes he has been gone for a while. He looked down at the girl in his arms. A piece of her fringe hung in front of her face. He reached down and brushed it behind her ear. He then leaned down and kissed her, making her eyes slowly open. She smiled into the kiss, enjoying the taste of Eren.

Eventually Eren pulled back, "I need to get going, Annie...I am sorry."

Annie shook her head and sat up, kissing him on the cheek, "Here, I will get your armor on."

After Annie got Eren's armor on, they kissed each other one last time before he turned around to leave. He felt a hand grab his. He looked back at Annie, who smiled, "Thank you...for comforting me…"

Eren squeezed her hand, "It's nothing...see you later…" He said before letting go and walking deeper into the forest.

Annie looked down at her feet, digging her boot into the dirt. She doesn't know why, but she has the strangest feeling something is about to go wrong. _It's probably nothing._ She thought to herself as she sat down in front of the dying fire, allowing memories of her father to flood into her mind.

Eren's armor jingled as he walked through the forest, looking ahead to see the exit of the forest. He heard a bird call out to another, _Probably some lovebirds. _He thought to himself, smiling.

But as he got closer and closer to the exit, he felt that something was wrong. Something was invading his presence. He narrowed his eyes as he stopped. His ears heard nothing but silence.

_Creak._

Eren looked up to see three cloaked men diving down, landing on the ground surrounding Eren. One pulled out a small mace, swinging it at Eren. The young knight leaned to the side and grabbed the man's wrist, pulling him into a tree, stunning him.

Another man swung a knife at Eren. He blocked the hand away with his wrist, only to have a foot hook around his ankle and his chest pushed, sending Eren to the ground. The young man tried to get up, but a knife was put up against his throat.

"Fuck...here to take me to Sina?...Fucking Warriors..."

They said nothing, instead they removed the knife and two of them grabbed both of Eren's wrists and pulled him up to his knees. Eren struggled, pulling at his arms. One of them got in front of him, the one he had knocked back. The man swung the mace at his face, banging him on the side of the head, causing Eren to shout in pain. He then hit both of Eren's elbows, making them feel weak, then both of his knees, making those weak as well. They then stripped him of his armor, leaving him in his arming doublet, trousers, and leather boots.

The man gave him a few more good whacks to the head and stomach before stopping. The men holding him by the arms dragged him out of the forest and dropped his arms, his body going limp as he couldn't feel his limbs. He coughed and groaned, breathing heavily.

He heard a familiar voice, "You son of a bitch liar!"

Eren was able to support himself with his shaking arms as he looked up to see a leg swing towards him, kicking him in the face and pushing him onto his back. All he could see were the clouds above him, and feel the cool grass below him. Only one object blocked his view of the sky: the head of his captain, staring down at him with malice.

Eren coughed, "L...Levi…"

Instantly he got a kick to the side, rolling him onto his stomach, coughing and sputtering, feeling blood in his mouth, he spat it out, hearing another familiar voice, "Eren!"

He looked up to see his sister, far away in the threshold of the house. She was being pushed back by guards as she pushed against them, struggling, trying to get to Eren, "Don't hurt him!" She cried, her eyes wide in fear of what will happen to her brother. One of her cheeks seemed a little redder than the other.

"Mikasa…" He groaned.

"Get him up." Levi hissed. Two of the cloaked men grabbed Eren by the arms again and pulled him up before turning him towards his captain.

"Levi...I'm sorry…"

"Sorry doesn't cut it, Jaeger. You are conspiring with the enemy. You are hereby marked a traitor, as you have talked with Annie Leonhardt, daughter to the late Captain of Sina's army, as seen by my spies." He said, gesturing to the cloaked figures, "You are sentenced to time in the castle dungeon until we can find a proper punishment for you." Levi snapped his fingers, "Nanaba! Bring me his knight's boots!"

"Yes sir." A female voice said, the cloaked figure with the mace walking over to his pile of armor laying by the edge of the forest. She picked up his boots and brought them over to Levi, looking at Eren.

The captain looked at the boots, then at Eren. He held out a hand towards one of the men holding him. The man produced a cleaver and handed it to Levi. He held one of the boots at an angle. Raising the cleaver, he struck off the spur of the boot, doing the same with the other boot. He looked at Eren, throwing the boots away, "You are no longer a knight. Only a insect which _needs_ to be squashed for the good of Maria."

Levi looked towards Nanaba, "Do it."

The woman walked over, mace in hand. Eren couldn't do anything to stop it as the cloaked girl swung it straight into his face, knocking him unconscious.

"Are you sure this will work, Dok?" Lord Balto asked, placing his glass of wine on the table which contained a map of Maria.

Nile Dok, the commander of Sina's forces, nodded, "Yes sir. We not only have trebuchets, but a new weapon from the east, they call it a cannon. It can blast a hole through any stone wall. We have enough numbers to do this. And since we took the town of Quinta without them knowing, we have a ticket to Maria."

Lord Balto nodded, "Alright, I fully trust in you to get this done, Dok. With Leonhardt gone, we need you."

Nile Dok nodded, "Do not worry, my lord. With the resources we have, we can lead a siege on the City of Maria."

A/N: Cloves, if you guys didn't know, were known to have slight pain killing effects. But I bet sex had better pain killing effects. Hot stuff, hot stuff...


	20. Siege

A/N: To tell the truth, I am totally iffy about this chapter. It's very long, but I feel like I fucked some things up. It's probably just me.

**Chapter 20: Siege**

Mikasa smiled as she kissed Jean at the door, holding the straps of his armor before letting go and pulling back, "That was amazing, Jean. See you later. I love you."

Jean smiled and laughed as he kissed her again. He pulled back, "See you later, my love. I love you too." He said before turning around and heading out.

Mikasa watched him walk away as the rain began to clear up, smiling before she closed the door, leaning her back against the it, inhaling and exhaling lovingly. She pushed herself off of the door and walked over to the fireplace. _It's about time I cook up some dinner for Eren and I. _She thought to herself, putting some soup in a pot and hanging it over the fireplace. She then started the fire. The warmth emanated across the room, which soothed her from the cold weather outside.

She was about five steps up the stairs when she heard galloping outside the house. She turned around, looking at the door with a curious eye. _Who is here?_ She asked nobody. A few moments of silence before an almost violent _knock-knock_ emanated from the door. She descended the five steps before slowly walking towards the door, the knocking getting louder the closer she got.

When she reached the door, she placed her hand on the knob and turned it, opening wide to see Captain Levi standing in front of her, his hair slightly wet, his expression almost as cold as the weather. Behind him she could see three cloaked figures and two guards.

Levi nodded to Mikasa, "Hello, Miss Jaeger." He said, no tone in his voice as he looked up at the woman.

Mikasa did a slight bow, "Hello, Levi. Uhm...would you like to come in?"

The small captain nodded, "Yes, I would. Thank you."

Mikasa allowed him inside. He gestured for his people to stay as he stepped past the threshold, looking around at the interior of the house, "Humble place…" He muttered.

Mikasa closed the door and looked at Levi, "So...what brings you here? W-would you like some tea?" She asked.

Levi turned around to look at Mikasa, shaking his head, "No, I am afraid I won't be staying for long. When we arrived here this morning, I sent Eren to give the news that Connie Springer has died in battle to Sasha Braus."

Mikasa's eyes widened, "Connie is...dead?"

Levi nodded, "Yes. He died a true soldier. But I would've thought that Eren would be back at camp or back home by now. Has he returned?"

Mikasa hesitated before nodding her head, she knew where he was right now, "Yeah, he did. I, uh, asked him if he could go into town and get some, uh, meat. For the soup."

Levi nodded, standing still for a moment before taking a step towards Mikasa, "You know, Miss Jaeger...I don't...I don't like liars. You don't happen to be...lying to me...are you?"

Mikasa's eyes widened as she shook her head, "No, Captain Levi, I-I am not lying. Why would I lie to yo-"

Levi stepped in and swung his backhand at her face, her hand instantly went up, blocking it, but then he threw his other hand at her, slapping her down. She fell onto her side, her eyes wide as she held her cheek, staring up at Levi. He was giving a dark look, "Don't bullshit me, Mikasa. I know exactly where Eren is. But I am gonna give you one chance to come clean, so that I don't need to punish you. So let me ask again." He said, crouching down on one knee next to the woman, "Where...is...Eren...Jaeger?"

Nanaba sighed as she saw the rain begin to clear up, "What a shame, I quite like the rain." She muttered to herself, turning her head up to see the darkened clouds. Moving her head back down, she looked at her comrades, going over the things she saw in the forest.

She had climbed the trees to get up high, and, being the lightest, stayed quiet as she got to the spot where she saw the target with the enemy, in a loving embrace. As soon as she saw this scene, she hurried back to Levi to give him the news. Then he walked over to the Jaeger household.

So here she was now, waiting with some men for Levi to get the confirmation from Jaeger's sister.

Not shortly after, Levi bursted out of the house, walking down the steps and onto the ground, telling the guards to keep the sister back. The sister ran to the door, but the guards were already there, pushing her back as she struggled to get past them, "Don't hurt Eren! He is just in love!" Her cheek was red.

Nanaba cocked an eyebrow, "Sir, did you hit her?"

Levi glanced at Nanaba, "Does it matter?" He asked as he gestured for Nanaba and the other two cloaked men to follow him, "Love is a dangerous thing, Mikasa!" He called out to her before walking towards the forest, "I want you three to cover the entrances from above. When one of you spot him coming towards your area, use the bird call to call the others over to ambush him. He can fight, but I know you three can take him down. Am I clear?"

Nanaba and the other two nodded, "Yes, sir."

Levi nodded and walked back to the house, "Then get to it."

Nanaba crouched on the tree branch, on her toes like a cat, waiting to see a sign that the young knight was coming her way. It was completely silent, except for the rain dripping from the leaves. It may be a while.

And, as if on cue, the sound of jingling armor reached her ears. Nanaba's eyes scanned the environment, spotting the young knight walking through the forest towards her area. Quickly she put her hands up to her mouth and did the bird call.

In a few moments, all three were set and prepared to ambush the unsuspecting man. As the kid walked just into position, he stopped. Nanaba couldn't wait for him to move, so she gestured to start the ambush. One of the branches creaked as all three jumped down, surrounding Eren Jaeger.

Nanaba, with her mace in hand, stepped in to swing at his face, but he leaned out of the way and grabbed her hand, swinging her into a tree. She slammed into the wood, falling down on her side as she recovered from her daze. _Son of a bitch_, she thought to herself as she got up and looked back at the boy.

He was struggling as the two other cloaked men held him by the wrists. She smirked, walking over with her mace in hand. She raised it and whacked him in the face, causing him to shout in pain, then she whacked his elbows and knees to keep them weak. Afterwards, they began to pull of his armor, throwing them into a pile.

Nanaba gave the target a few more good whacks to the face and stomach, bruising the boy and making him grunt and groan. She gestured for the other two to pull him out of the forest.

They dragged the bleeding boy across the grass, dropping his arms and letting him fall to the ground with a _thump_. The kid coughed and sputtered, breathing heavily as Nanaba saw Levi walking over.

"You son of a bitch liar!" She heard him say. The boy was able to push himself up with trembling arms, looking up just as Levi kicked the kid in the face. Eren rolled over onto his back, groaning in pain. Levi then leaned over the boy, looking down at him with an expression of hate.

"L...Levi…" The boy coughed.

This earned the kid another kick, this time to the side, rolling the boy onto his stomach. He coughed and sputtered, spitting blood out as a little trickle of the red liquid fell down the corner of his mouth.

The sister called out, "Eren!" Nanaba looked over to see Mikasa, struggling against the guards, wanting to get to her brother. Her eyes were wide, and the mark on her cheek was getting redder as she cried out, "Don't hurt him!"

Nanaba then heard the boy groan, "Mikasa…"

"Get him up." Levi commanded with a venomous tone. Nanaba saw the other two men walk back over and grab the kid by the arms to pull him up and turn him towards the small man.

The boy looked up at Levi, one of his eyes purple and slightly swollen, and several colored bruises around his face, "Levi...I'm sorry…"

Levi gave the boy a disgusted look, "Sorry doesn't cut it, Jaeger. You are conspiring with the enemy. You are hereby marked a traitor, as you have talked with Annie Leonhardt, daughter to the late Captain of Sina's army, as seen by my spies." He said, waving his arm at Nanaba and the other two, "You are sentenced to time in the castle dungeon until we can find a proper punishment for you." Levi snapped his fingers, gesturing towards her, "Nanaba! Bring me his knight's boots!"

Nanaba nodded, "Yes sir." She said, walking back over to the pile of armor. She bent down and picked up the boots. As she brought them over, she noticed how beautiful they looked before Levi took them. She looked at the kid, who gave her a weak look. _Poor kid_, she thought.

He glared at the boy as he angled the boots a certain way. He held his hand out to one of the other cloaked men, who pulled a cleaver out from his sheath, holding it by the blade as he held it out to Levi.

The captain raised the cleaver and brought it down on the spur, breaking it off of the boot with a display of small sparks. Then he did the same with the other boot. He then threw the boots off to the side and looked at Eren. He narrowed his eyes, growling, "You are no longer a knight. Only a insect which _needs_ to be squashed."

Levi turned his head to Nanaba, nodding to her, "Do it."

Nanaba took out the mace and walked up to Eren. She swung and whacked him on the side of the head hard, knocking the kid out. He hung there, limp, the only support being the two cloaked men holding him.

"No!" Mikasa cried out.

Levi ignored the woman, instead, he gestured to Eren, glancing at Nanaba, "Tie him up. The wagon will be here soon."

Nanaba nodded as she took out the rope.

As Eren's eyes slowly opened up, he noticed that there was no comfy bed underneath him. He opened his eyes all the way to see that he was laying on a cold stone floor. He began to push himself up, his arms shaking, feeling weak. But with enough force, he was able to sit up. He leaned back, his body meeting a stone wall.

He began to get a good look of his surroundings. In front of him stood rusty iron bars with a rusty iron door, beyond which held a chair, a table and a wooden door, along with what looked like other jail cells down the hall. There were shackles hanging from the walls and the ceiling, and a window was above his head. He slowly pushed himself onto his feet, groaning from the aching limbs.

Once he was on his feet, he turned around to look at the window. It was barred off with iron, like the door. He grabbed the bars and struggled as he pulled himself up to see outside. His eyes widened.

He was underneath the City of Maria, the window showed him a good view of the walls surrounding Castle Maria, in the center of the City. He was in the dungeons. While there were other jail cells, it sounded like he was the only one here.

He let go of the bars, dropping on his feet, which made him grunt. The sound of a wooden door opening made him turn around.

The person opening the door had the facial traits of a woman, but the short hair of a man, which was blonde. Despite this, Eren knew it was a woman, seeing that she had a female figure, her leather armor fitting her figure quite well. The woman looked at him with blue eyes, not giving an emotion as to what she thinks. In her hands she held an iron tray with bread on it.

Looking at the bread, Eren was already feeling hungry. _I haven't eaten anything since this morning_, he thought to himself, his eyebrows raising as the woman slid the tray in front of the iron bars. Eren crouched down and grabbed the bread through the bars, pulling it over to his side as the woman sat down.

He looked at the woman, "How long have I been here?" He asked before biting into the bread.

The woman was silent, staring at the boy. She narrowed her eyes before looking at the window, "Around an hour."

Eren blinked before taking another bite, "What did you do with my sister?"

The woman crossed her arms, tapping her right upper arm with a finger. Her eyes fell down on Eren, "Your sister is fine."

Eren nodded. He looked down at his bread, "What have you done to...to Annie?" He asked, looking up at her.

The woman sighed and gave him a sorry look, as if she sympathized with him, "Miss Leonhardt has not been seen."

Eren looked back down, glancing up at the woman, "Just...don't hurt her...I am at fault…"

The woman stood up and crouched down in front of the bars, "I am not in charge. Levi is…"

Eren nodded, looking down at the ground, "...Of course…"

The woman instantly stood back up as the wooden door opened again to reveal Levi. His eyes stared into Eren before he looked at the woman, "How is the prisoner, Nanaba?"

_Nanaba? _Eren through to himself, _That's the woman that knocked me out. _He didn't hold any hate towards her, as she was just following orders. _But it still hurt_.

Nanaba nodded to Levi, "He is fine, Captain."

Levi nodded, gesturing for Nanaba to leave. As she walked out the door, closing it behind her, Levi turned his head to the prisoner. He took a step forward and crouched down, their eyes meeting each others, "Why didn't you listen to me, Jaeger? This could've all been avoided if you just listened to me. What did everyone basically say to you? That you two would be together after the war. And I told you, _I told you_, that I would kill anyone who disregards my orders. And now we are getting the wheel ready for your execution, but first you will be tortured, torn apart until you tell us everything you know. Then you are going to be put to death by the Breaking Wheel tomorrow morning, in front of _everyone, _freshly cut up and beaten Your family, your friends, and your comrades. How long do you think you will survive? I have heard about one man who survived three days until he finally died. You could break the record."

He stood up, looking down at Eren, "Now, about that little slut you were with. We haven't found Annie yet. Though we know you two have always loved that little magical forest you two have. We are thinking that we could flush her out. How good do you think the forest will burn?"

Eren's eyes widened as he looked up at Levi. He dropped the bread and stood up, grabbing the bars, "Levi, Levi, no, please! Don't do this to her! It's all my fault, don't bring Annie into this!"

Levi gave a smirk, his eyes showing insanity, "Enjoy your final day on Earth, Eren." He said before turning around and leaving the room.

Eren banged his fist against the bars, "Levi! Please! Don't! I beg you! Levi!"

Nanaba leaned against the wall next to the door to the dungeons, her eyes widening as she heard Levi talk about burning down the forest in Shiganshima. _Why would the Captain do this? He was never this crazy before. He is going to burn the forest down, with the girl in it._

Levi opened the door and closed it behind him, looking at Nanaba, "Keep the door to the dungeons secure." He said.

Eren's cries and screams could be heard from the other side. Nanaba gulped and nodded, "Y-yes, sir."

Levi nodded before walking up the steps. Nanaba didn't know what to do. _This boy is a traitor,_ she thought, _but he was only seemingly doing it for love._ The screams and cries of the boy weren't doing good things for her. It just made her feel like a murderer. She had to do something. But she can't betray Maria.

She survived for a few minutes or so before her conflicting feelings picked one side. _The side of love_, she thought to herself, remembering times when her mother wouldn't allow her to talk to certain boys.

She sighed and looked around before opening the door and walking inside. The boy had stopped crying, he was now laying on the floor, curled up, staring at the bars blankly.

Nanaba looked down the rows of cells, sighing. _Levi will have my head for this_, "Eren."

The kid looked up at Nanaba, his eyes sullen. He sat up, "What do you want?" He grumbled, frowning at her.

Nanaba crouched down, "I...I want to get you out of here. What I heard Levi say...burning down a forest to get to one girl...that does not sit right with me. So I want to ask. Is what you are doing with that girl harmful at all to the kingdom?"

Eren's eyes widened with a shine of hope. He shook his head, "No, no...we are just...we are just in love."

Nanaba nodded, looking down the hall of the dungeon, the empty jail cells making it seem desolate. She sighed, "Is there anyone I can talk to who knows about this castle? Anyone you know or trust?"

Eren wracked his brain, leaning his head against the iron bars. His head instantly shot back up, "Armin Arlert, my best friend. He is studying here to be a chamberlain."

Nanaba nodded, "Alright, Eren, I know where to look. Stay calm. I am _not_ going to let Levi burn down that forest. This girl _better_ be important to you." She said before walking out the wooden door and closing it behind herself.

Eren leaned his back against the walls, a faint smile on his face, "Oh, she's important. I _am _in here because of her."

Armin sat in the library, alone, a book opened in front of him. He sighed as he turned the page, reading information he already knows, and is only reading it again to make it look like he is studying for the test.

Suddenly, the door to the library opened and a woman walked into the room, her eyes scanning the room until she spotted the blonde young man. She walked over, "Are you Armin Arlert?"

Armin looked up from his book, "Uhm...yeah…"

The woman nodded and stopped in front of his table, "Do you have a friend named Eren Jaeger?"

He nodded, "Yes. Why?"

She looked back at the door, as if she was worrying someone will come in and spot them, "Your friend is imprisoned here for treason, as he was spotted with a girl from Sina."

Armin's eyes widened, "What? He is not a traitor. He has told me about this girl, and it only seems to be for love."

Nanaba nodded, "But that's not the worst part. Something is...wrong with the Captain. He has become all sinister and hateful since he has learned of Eren's betrayal. He is planning on burning down the forest to get to this girl."

Armin's eyes widened more, "What? Eren and I used to play in that forest with our friends, and Levi is just going to burn it down? For a girl?"

Nanaba nodded, "So I am planning on getting him out. I need you. Do you know of any secret passageways in this castle?"

Armin cocked an eyebrow before glancing up in thought, he was up from his seat, "Actually...yes, and it's in here. I will show you once you get Ere-"

A gigantic explosion rocked the castle, causing Nanaba and Armin to almost fall over. Armin caught himself on his table. After it was gone, Armin looked around, "What was that?!"

Nanaba caught herself on the bookshelf, "I don't know! It sounded big."

Shouts were heard outside, "We are being attacked!" "The wall has been breached!" "Castle Maria is under siege!"

Armin looked at Nanaba, wide eyed, "Get Eren here quickly, I will get the secret exit open. Go!"

Nanaba nodded and turned to run, another explosion, this one smaller, rocking the castle, causing her to stumble out the door.

Eren was standing up in his cell, walking back and forth, waiting for Nanaba to get back, when a huge explosion caused him to stumble. He caught himself on a wall. _What the hell was that?_ He asked his mind.

He turned to the window, pulling himself up to see a huge hole in the wall. He saw what looked like Sinan soldiers pouring out the hole. His eyes widened, "We are under attack." He said, dropping down from the window with a painful grunt and walking to the iron door, rocking it with his hands, "I need to get out of here quick, to Annie."

Another explosion rocked the castle, but Eren held onto the bars, so he was grounded pretty well. He heard shouts and cries and the sounds of metal against metal outside the window. Another explosion. The wooden door opened and Nanaba stumbled inside, "We gotta get you out of here, the castle is under attack!"

"Really?!" Eren asked with a huge hint of sarcasm.

Nanaba produced a key from her pocket and put it in the keyhole of the iron door. With a small turn, she unlocked the door and opened it for him, "Go! Get your girl!"

Another explosion sent Eren stumbling through the iron door, catching himself on the wooden one. He looked back to Nanaba, "Thank you!"

Nanaba nodded, "Get out of here! The library is down the hall, third door on the left!"

Eren nodded, opening the door and running up the stairs.

He saw a few soldiers run past him down the hall, he waited then turned around the corner and down the hall. Eren counted the doors as he ran past them. _One...two...three!_ He skidded to a halt in front of the library door, an explosion causing him to grab the doorknob to stay steady.

Opening the door, he saw Armin, rushing to pull the wood in the fireplace out of the way. He looked at the door and saw Eren, "Eren! Get over here! Help me!"

Eren ran over and got down on his knees, pulling the wood out and throwing them across the room. Another explosion, footsteps past the door. They soon after revealed an iron trap door underneath all of them.

Armin opened the trap door, it's rusty hinges creaking it open. He gestured for Eren to move, "Get in!"

"What about you!?" Eren asked, another explosion rocking the castle.

"Don't worry about me! I'll be fine!"

Eren looked at his friend with worry before nodding and hugging his friend, "Thanks Armin."

"It's nothing, Eren. Now go! You got a girl to save!"

Eren jumped down into the trap door, his feet landing on stone, causing his legs to ache, but not as bad as earlier. The only light was the opening of the trap door, and it disappeared as Armin closed it. Eren had to move, his eyes adjusting to the darkness as he made his way through the dark tunnels. He heard the sounds of war above his head, the cries, the shouts, the curses and screams. Strange to hear it when he isn't participating in it anymore.

Soon enough he heard the screams and cries of women and children, telling him that they are also attacking the city. _Those bastards_, he thought to himself.

Eventually, his eyes spotted rays of light coming from a square in the ceiling, the light illuminating a ladder leading up to what was obviously a trap door. Eren ran over and grabbed the sides of the ladder. He climbed it as fast as he could with his slightly aching limbs. He held onto the ladder with one hand and used his other to push the trap door open. It required some power, and a lot of grunting but he was eventually able to push it up and over. He climbed the last rungs and pulled himself up onto the surface.

He was in the stables, which made sense if the lord wanted to get out during a siege. He closed the trap door and walked past the horses, spotting a very familiar one.

"Rogue!" He exclaimed, running over to the door, he looked at his horse, "What are you doing here? Did they bring you here?"

The horse whinnied.

"I will take that as a yes!" Eren said, unlocking the door.

Just before he opened the door, someone tackled him with the force of a bull. Eren was back on the ground, groaning for the pain as he looked up at his attacker.

It was the one person he forgot about.

"Time to die, Jaeger!" Reiner shouted, raising the knife above his head.

A/N: This was a pretty long chapter. I hope nothing was wrong with it. And I hope you all enjoyed!

Also, the breaking wheel is a very brutal execution. Mostly used by the Holy Roman Empire, which was basically Germany and the surrounding areas. A person is laid out on a wheel, and the people breaking the person's limbs between the spokes. Apparently it did kill them. But only after a certain amount of time. Middle Ages were a beautiful time, weren't they?


	21. End

A/N: Well, here we are. Never thought I would make it here. I hope you have enjoyed the series so far. Now it's time to end it.

**Chapter 21: End**

"Time to die!"

Reiner held the knife in his hands above his head and thrusted it down. Eren's hands shot up, grabbing the man's wrists, stopping the knife just inches away from his face. Eren stared at the blade in front of him, threatening to stab into him, to kill him and cut off his life from his body. His aching limbs were crying out.

Eren pushed Reiner off of him to the side, quickly scrambling to get up. He took a few steps back from the hulking brute. Reiner stood up, dropping the knife. Eren noticed a leather strap hanging from his shoulder, and a long handle poking out from behind his shoulder.

Reiner pulled the strap off to show it was a scabbard. He grabbed the handle poking out and pulled the scabbard off, throwing it to the side. In the Warrior's hands he held a claymore, a long two handed blade. He raised the blade and charged at Eren. The young man's eyes widened as he rolled under the blade, dodging it by mere inches, and stopping by putting his palms flat on the floor. Reiner's swing obviously missed him, and instead the blade got lodged in a wooden post. Eren looked around as Reiner was distracted by the stuck blade.

The knife! Eren dived over and picked it up, standing just as Reiner pulled the blade out. Eren held the knife with the tip pointing down. Reiner growled and ran at him, blade raised vertically to swing down. As Reiner swung down on Eren, the smaller man, sidestepped out of the way, throwing his arm up to give Reiner a big cut on the arm. He remembered Annie's words:

"_If you are stuck facing a man with a blade much bigger than yours, don't go on the offensive. Instead, wait until they strike, then dodge and attack. Rinse and repeat, he will go down eventually. A good metaphor is the tiger and the elephant. The elephant is huge and can easily kill the tiger, but the tiger is small and fast. Everyday the tiger would attack the elephant than run off. The elephant died at some point."_

Reiner held the cut on his arm, frowning at Eren, "You will pay for that!" He said, swinging diagonally at Eren. Eren leaned out of the way, sliding the knife across Reiner's thigh, giving that a wide cut.

Reiner slapped a hand on his thigh, gritting his teeth, "You are really pissing me off, Jaeger!"

Eren stayed silent, staring into Reiner's eyes as the brute came in to attack with a wide slash. Eren jumped above it, grabbing onto a vertical wooden post and pushing himself off on the other side of Reiner. He raised the knife and gave his back a diagonal cut from top to bottom.

Reiner arched his back, shouting in pain, "Fuck!" He looked at Eren and came running at him, swinging the big sword wildly, Eren dodged in every way he could but he eventually got a cut on the shoulder, cutting through his doublet and into his skin. Eren winced and dodged under a swing, reaching up and slashing the knife across the nape of Reiner's neck.

Reiner cried out in pain, raising a hand to cover his nape as he got down on his knees, dropping his sword with a _twang_. Eren took this point to run up and hook an arm around the top of Reiner's neck and pulled him back until Eren was sitting down and Reiner was lying on the ground. The brute kicked and struggled as Eren brought the knife up to the front of Reiner's neck and pushed in deep, then pulled it across, blood squirting everywhere. Eventually, the struggling ceased, and the huge body went limp.

Eren sighed in relief as he dropped the body. He quickly crawled backwards from the bleeding corpse, standing up and looking down at it, "It's about time you died." He said as he pocketed the knife and picked up the sword and it's scabbard. He put the sword back into the scabbard and slung it over his shoulder.

Eren looked at Rogue and walked over, opening the door and grabbing the horse' reins, gently pulling him out. He smiled at the horse before putting a foot in the stirrup and swinging his other leg over. He leaned down to Rogue's ear, "Come on, Rogue, we got a princess to save." He said, nudging the horses ribs and shouting, "Hyah!" The horse galloped out of the burning city of Maria.

Mikasa sat at the table, her face emotionless as she looked at the already cold soup. Even though there was no expression on her face, tears still slid down her cheeks, falling into the soup. _They took him,_ she thought to herself, _they took him, and then they are going to kill him. Now Eren won't be at my wedding, he won't see my children, and I won't be able to see his face again. _

Just then, Jean bursted through the door, turning his head to look at Mikasa, "Mika, I heard about what happened." He said, closing the door and walking over to sit down next to her. He wrapped an arm around her, "So...Eren was a traitor?"

Mikasa turned her head to look at him, frowning at her lover, "Do you believe he is a traitor...Jean?"

Jean blinked, thinking for a moment, before shaking his head, "No, I don't. He doesn't seem like that kind of guy."

Mikasa looked back at the soup, "He was just in love...in love with a Sinan. They weren't trading secrets, only kisses. Annie Leonhardt made my brother happy and was able to turn him into a knight, a title which has been chopped off by a cleaver."

Jean nodded, "There has to be a way to get him out, some way we can get him out of the-"

"You don't think I have already thought about that? There is no way, _no way_, we can get him out of there and stay alive!"

Jean looked at Mikasa sadly, "Mikasa...I am so sorry…"

Mikasa leaned into Jean's chest, closing her eyes, and staying silent, slowly crying into Jean's skin.

For a few moments, they stayed there in their warm embrace, comforting each other.

Jean raised his head and looked out the window frowning as he saw a man on a black horse stop in front of the forest.

"Mikasa...Levi's back…"

Mikasa sat back up, looking out the window.

They saw Levi sitting there, looking out at the forest for a few minutes. A scabbard hung from the saddle, where a zweihander handle was sticking out. In one of Levi's hands held a lit lantern, the flame inside flickering.

Everything fell silent as the couple's eyes were fixed on the small man. Levi looked to be surveying the land, looking around at the trees. He waited for a moment longer before he held the hand with the lantern back and tossed the lantern into the forest.

Mikasa's and Jean's eyes widened as they both quickly got up, sprinting outside to where Levi sat on his horse, watching as the flame from the now broken lantern set fire to a tree, setting off a chain reaction of more and more trees being engulfed in the flames.

Mikasa and Jean stopped next to Levi's horse, Jean looked at his captain, "Levi! What are you doing?!"

Levi stared at the flames, which shined off of his grey, emotionless eyes. He turned his head slowly to look at the couple, "Justice, Jean. I am doing justice. For the _good_ of Maria." He said simply before turning his horse around and riding off.

Mikasa looked at Jean before looking at Levi. She ran after his horse, "Hey! You bastard!" She shouted, tripping on her own dress and falling to her hands and knees with a grunt.

Jean ran over, kneeling down next to his lover, "Mikasa! You okay?" Mikasa shook her

head, swinging an arm towards the forest, "Annie is in there! She will burn if we don't get her! How do we get her out?" She asked as the edge of the forest became a wall of flames.

Jean shook his head, "I don't know! I...I don't know!" Jean looked at the forest.

A few minutes later, the sounds of another horse galloping came closer. The couple turned around to see Eren, beaten and bruised, with his shoulder bleeding. He was on Rogue, pulling the reins in front of the forest to stop the horse, he held a hand up to shield himself from the fire. The boy shook his head, "Shit!" He cursed, jumping off the horse, he stumbled slightly, the pain in his knees not helping.

Mikasa ran over, "Eren!" She cried, Jean following after her.

The young man looked at the couple, letting Mikasa wrap her arms around him before he quickly pulled back, pulling the strap of the scabbard, "Mikasa, Jean! I am going in there!"

They looked at him like he was insane, "What?" Jean asked.

Eren looked at the forest, "I have got to get Annie! I would rather die with her than live without her!"

Jean nodded, knowing Eren could not be persuaded, "Alright, Eren, good luck."

Mikasa hugged her brother one last time, "Please make it back." She said before letting go.

Eren nodded, "If I don't make it out, I love you!"

Eren looked at Jean, "If I don't come out within an hour, try to see if you can get in to find us!"

Jean's eyes widened, "What? No...I...I can't."

Eren frowned at Jean, "If you're too much of a coward to jump into a burning forest, then forget marrying my sister! Make a choice! I gotta go!"

And without another word, Eren turned to the forest and sprinted into it, disappearing behind the flames.

Eren ducked under a flaming low hanging branch, the heat of the fire already getting to him. Sweat was pouring down his tan skin, his brunette hair clinging to his forehead, he could even feel his blood boiling.

Eren jumped over a fallen flaming tree, missing the flames by an inch. When he landed, he stumbled and fell on his hands and knees. He cursed and quickly got up. The sounds of snapping branches and flickering flames surrounded him. Eren couldn't believe this all started because he met one girl. One perfect girl.

Eren reached the river, meaning he was halfway to the campsite. He crouched down to the river and quickly threw some water on his face to cool off before he was running again. He hoped he could make it to her in time. _I couldn't live with myself if she died here. _

As he got nearer and nearer to the campsite, he heard a voice call out, "Help!"

Eren knew it was Annie's voice, he looked in the direction of the source, and began sprinting, "I am coming!" He shouted, blood and adrenaline pumping through his veins as the love of his life screamed for help.

When he reached the source of the cry, he ran to the help of Annie, who was laying there, a small flaming tree pinning one of her legs, probably breaking it, while the other leg was tucked underneath her bottom.

Annie, at first panicking about the leg, looked up to see Eren. She reached up and grabbed his arm, "Eren, help me! I was trying to run away, but I tripped and before I could get up, this tree fell on my leg, I...I think it's broken!"

Eren nodded, looking at the tree, "Alright, think you can help me push it off?"

Annie nodded, untucking her unbroken leg and placing it on the tree, while Eren used his hands, "Alright, ready? Push!" He shouted, both of them using their combined strength to roll the tree off of her leg. She cried out in pain. Eren wrapped an arm around her, "Yes, I know it hurts, just bite through it!"

Picking her up, he held her bridal style before he began to run. _If I go in one direction, I should be able to get out, _he thought to himself.

Every time her leg moved a bit, Annie would groan in pain. Eren hated the sight of this, but if he wants to get her out of here, there will need to be pain.

As Eren jumped over another flaming tree, he stumbled but regained his footing. He looked up to see that they were in the practice area. It was so unrecognizable in this environment, and he wouldn't have known if it weren't for the big tree in the center. The trees surrounding gave almost a shield of fire.

He looked down at Annie, who was sweating bullets and giving a very pained expression, "Don't worry Annie, we are almost out." He said.

She was about to open her mouth to say something, but someone's voice cut that off.

"Well, well, well...look at the two lovebirds!"

Eren and Annie looked to the source. Their eyes widened.

Levi, in his armor, walked towards the couple, his zweihander in his hand. He was sweating, and his hair clung to his skin. He dragged the sword along the dirt floor, creating a trail.

"Saw you coming in just from the town! I decided to give you a headstart before I came back in! Looks like Nanaba isn't very trustworthy!"

Eren frowned, the anger inside boiling, "Let us get out, Levi! We can settle things out there!"

Levi laughed and raised the sword in his hand, pointing it at the couple, "No can do, Jaeger! You see, if we were to go out there, your sister and her lover could join you!" He clicked his tongue, "I want this to be a fair fight!"

Eren slowly began to walk towards the big tree, which was not on fire yet. When he reached it, he crouched down to sit Annie down at the tree, "What happened, Levi? Why did you do this!?"

Levi gave another laugh, "Eren, you should know this about me! Whenever a threat to the kingdom of Maria presents itself, I squash it! I don't care _what_ I have to do, as long as that by the end of the day, the threat is nonexistent! Burn down a whole forest, burn down a whole town! It's all for the good of the kingdom!"

Eren shook his head, taking off the leather strap and holding the scabbard in his hand, "You know what's happening in the kingdom right now!?"

Levi laughed, "Yes, Eren, and guess what? Already squashed! Knew about that siege way before it happened, as soon as they took Quinta! Only a few people knew and prepared for it! Taking out their cannon and disabling their trebuchets were easier than stealing candy from an infant! Sina is done! They threw everything they had at us, and we killed it all! We have won the war!"

Eren's eyes widened, "Then why!? Why do you still persist in killing us!? Everything is good now!"

Levi shook his head, "No...no, Eren! Not until every single Sinan soldier is dead!" He said, gesturing to Annie, "Including her!"

"You stay away from her!" Eren threatened, pulling the claymore out.

"Oh, don't worry! I will kill you so you don't have to watch me kill her!" Levi shouted, charging at Eren and swinging his zweihander at him.

Eren rolled to the side, getting back on his feet. Annie watched in horror as her lover was being attacked by a madman.

Levi swung to his right. Eren blocked and use the crossguard to push it out of the way, going in for a swing at his neck.

Levi backstepped away, missing the blade, and stepping in for a swipe at Eren's chest.

Eren leaned back, but the tip of the blade still cut into his flesh, from collar bone to shoulder, not very deep, but painful. Eren stumbled, getting down on one knee, covering the wound.

"Eren, watch out!"

Eren looked up to see Levi charging with his sword in the air. Eren dodged to the side and turned around, swiping at Levi's leg. The blade dug into Levi's calf, deeper than he did to Eren, but not deep enough. He stumbled but regained his footing quickly, standing up to face his old student.

They charged each other again, their swords clashing in a lock, both of them glaring into each other's eyes. Levi gained the upper hand, pushing Eren onto the ground. As he came in to thrust down into Eren's chest, Eren's foot push kicked into Levi's knee, sending him to one knee. Eren rolled out of the way and stood up, raising his sword to swing down on Levi's neck. But Levi twisted around and held his sword up, blocking Eren's attack, then shot a foot out to kick Eren in the stomach.

Eren stumbled back onto the big tree, breathing heavily before rolling out of the way as Levi came in to thrust into Eren's head, only to dig the blade into the bark of the tree.

Eren turned around and slashed at Levi's arm, cutting into the elbow.

Levi shouted in pain and pulled his sword out, using the momentum to swing at Eren. Eren tried to sidestep out of the way, getting his upper arm cut in the process. He backstepped away, holding his arm as it bled.

Levi dove into to stab Eren, who blocked it and pushed him to the side, slicing at the man's neck, cutting slightly into his skin.

Levi's hand instantly went up to his neck, luckily for him, the wound was not deep enough. He glared at Eren and grabbed his sword with both hands before swinging at Eren's neck.

Eren blocked it to the side and came in to hit Levi in the chestplate with his elbow. It hurt his elbow, but it did help in making Levi stagger backwards.

Levi and Eren locked eyes, their blood seeping out of their wounds, their swords at the ready, and their legs ready to charge.

Everything seemed to go slow for what Annie was seeing. Eren was the first to move, raising his sword up to slash at Levi diagonally. While Levi charged in, pulling the sword back, ready to thrust.

Eren swung his sword down, but stopped right as the blade touched skin. He grunted as he dropped his sword from his hands

Annie's eyes widened, "Eren!"

Levi looked up at Eren's face as his zweihander penetrated Eren's side, running him through. Eren looked down to see Levi holding the blade that is inside of him right now, holding it with two hands. His face twisted in pain as blood seeped out of the wound, soaking the hands of the killer in blood. This was it, Levi won. Eren lost.

Levi smirked and went to pull his sword out of his former student.

His handle was grabbed by a hand. Eren's left hand, holding firm, a steel grip. He couldn't pull out of Eren's side. He looked up at Eren, who, with a twisted face of anger and pain, reached into his pocket. He produced the knife he got from Reiner, muttering, "Fuck you." Before he thrusted it up into Levi's skull, penetrating the brain, killing him instantly.

Levi's mouth hung open, showing the knife to Eren that was right now through his mouth. The young man smiled, letting go of the knife and Levi's sword. Using his right hand he reached out and pushed Levi's chest, causing the now dead captain to fall the ground, and pulling the sword out with him.

As soon as the sword was pulled out of Eren's side, he looked at Annie and smiled before collapsing to his knees. Then he fell onto his side.

"Eren!" Annie shouted, crawling over on her two arms and one leg, the broken one being dragged along uselessly.

When she reached the young man, she wrapped an arm under his neck and pulled him onto her lap. He looked up at her, the smile still on his face. He reached up to caress her cheek. Her tears fell down her face, "Eren, don't die on me! Eren! Please!"

Eren moved the hand over to place a finger on Annie's lips, "Shhhhhh…" Was the only noise he made. When she was quiet, he nodded and muttered, "I love you."

Just then, his hand dropped as the boy fainted, blood pouring out of his wound. Annie's eyes widened, "Eren...Eren? Don't...don't do this...please…" She said, looking around at the burning forest around her, "Somebody help!" She shouted, "Help!"

She looked down at Eren, whose eyes were closed in peaceful sleep, a smile spread across his face. Her tears fell down and dropped on his chest.

_Please_, Annie thought to anyone out there, _please help…_

A/N: I did have an ending planned, but I always love it when it's a choose-your-own ending. Anyway, I would like to thank Euregatto for beta reading the first few chapters and I would like to thank all of you people for supporting my story. I wouldn't have continued if it was not for you guys! What I plan on doing for my fanfics is I write one full length chaptered story, then I write a one-shot, then we go into the next story. The one shot I have planned is a special one, that I believe is pretty unique. I hope you enjoy it. I also hope you enjoyed this! Thank you guys for reading!


	22. Epilogue

A/N: I was originally going to end it with that choose your own ending. But a few people wanted more, so here it is. This is my ending. It is very long.

**Epilogue**

The black haired woman placed her satchel on the table, her grey eyes looking up at the racks of herbs. She tapped her chin, "Okay...so...hops...mint...and, uh...'s been a while since anyone has had the cold-ahh, horehound!"

As she collected the jars, the door to her house opened, revealing a young boy, of around five years with black hair and light brown eyes, smiling, "Mama! When are we going?"

The mother smiled and put the herbs in the satchel, "Soon, little one, calm yourself."

The child was lightly hopping from one foot to the other, obviously excited.

The mother laughed at her child's hyperactive nature, closing the satchel and slinging it around her shoulder, checking her hair to make sure it was in a ponytail, "Alright, Grisha, let's go." She said before walking around the table. As she walked out the door, she grabbed the small hand of her son, closing the door behind them and descending the small stairs in front of the house.

She looked at the forest next to her house, seeing the burnt trees. _They should recover soon_, she thought to herself, seeing some saplings already grown pretty big, before walking towards the trees, passing two tombstones that were planted in the backyard. As she passed by the trees, her mind brought back the memories of herself as a child, playing in this forest with her friends and family.

Her feet went from crushing dirt to crushing grass as she entered the other half of the forest, which served as a border between Shiganshima and Stohess. _Luckily the fire didn't burn it all down, these ones got lightly burnt, but they recovered quick._ _Now I just need to remember the way to go to get to my patient's house_, she thought to herself, remembering the marks she made in the trees to guide her. A cross there, a line here, she made sure she was thorough.

Eventually she entered a clearing, where the sun shone past the limbs of the trees surrounding. A small river was nearby, a good water source. Beautiful patches of flowers were scattered around, tall enough to poke up over the shin-length grass, but that wasn't the reason why she was here.

A wooden house with some stone parts, a bit smaller than the mother's house, stood in the middle of the clearing. A house she remembered her husband helped build. A smile appeared on the mother's lips as she led her child up to the front door. She raised her fist and knocked on the oak, a gentle rapping.

A moment of silence washed over the mother and child as they waited. Footsteps were heard getting closer to the door. When they stopped, the knob turned and the door opened wide to reveal a young man, with dark brown messy hair that reached his nape and tired green eyes, wearing a beige shirt with tassels and trousers.

He leaned against the doorway, a small grin on his face as he nodded to the woman, his voice grumbling, "Hey, Mikasa...you got my message?"

Mikasa nodded, "Yes, I did. Sasha is pretty fast."

The man nodded, "Yeah...yeah, she is. I never get a chance to talk with her...how is she doing?"

Mikasa inhaled, "Well...she is doing much better. I think she has finally moved on. She is with some guy from Quinta. Nice guy, from what I have heard…"

He nodded, "That's good." He said, before looking down at the young boy. He crouched down, wincing slightly, "Hey, little man."

Grisha smiled wide, "Hi, Uncle Eren!"

Eren reached over and ruffled his hair, "Look at you, you have grown. When I last saw you, I could only see your head above the grass."

The child laughed. Eren smiled, wincing as he stood up, looking at his sister, "Well, come in. She is upstairs. Annie is out to get some fruits."

As Mikasa led her child inside, Eren closed the door behind them. She turned around to look at her brother, "How's the wound, anyway?"

Eren lifted his shirt, showing a moderately sized burn mark on his side, "It hurts...but that's expected. I am fine, otherwise."

Mikasa nodded, "I wish we could've done it another way."

_**Six Years Earlier**_

The blonde held her lover to her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks as she watched him slowly dying in front of her, "Help…" She muttered, a word she has repeated multiple times in the flaming forest.

Suddenly, two figures burst from the flaming trees, landing in the clearing. They looked around and saw the couple next to what looked like the corpse of Captain Levi. One of them cried out, "Eren!"

The blonde girl turned her head over her shoulder to see Jean and Mikasa run over, the latter's skirt torn up to just above her knees. Mikasa crouched down next to them, "Jean, you carry Eren! Annie, are you okay?"

Annie shook her head as she allow Jean to pick up Eren, "I can't walk, my leg is broken!"

Mikasa nodded, "Alright, this will hurt!" She said before wrapping her arms around the smaller girl and lifting her up to hold her bridal style, causing Annie to cry in pain. Mikasa turned to Jean, "Go!"

Jean nodded and they both ran to jump over the flames, stumbling but regaining their footing. Jean led the way, dodged any flames that came near, with Mikasa doing the same. The sweat ran down their temples as their hair was wet and sticky. The violent scene around them threatened to close down on them, to choke them out and burn them alive. They had to move fast.

Annie was crying in Mikasa's arms, some from the pain of her leg, most from the pain of the thought of losing Eren. Suddenly, a flaming tree branch crashed just behind the taller girl, causing her to trip and fall, dropping the blonde, who shouted in pain.

Jean turned around, "Mikasa!"

Mikasa shook her head, already getting up, "Keep going! I can catch up!"

Jean hesitated, but seeing as Mikasa was already picking up Annie, he nodded and continued on. Mikasa was not far behind him. They were almost out.

Seeing the forest from the other side was a sight. It was almost literally a wall of flames, as if trying to block anyone from entering.

Two figures bursted through the flames, landing and quickly running toward the Jaeger household. Annie could see scraps of Mikasa's skirt on the floor. _She must've torn it off so that she could run better without her skirt catching on fire,_ she thought to herself as she looked up at the taller girl carrying her.

Jean ran through the already opened door of the house, placing Eren gently on the table. A fire was flickering in the fireplace, and a metal object was sticking out of it.

Mikasa set up two chairs so that Annie could sit and rest her broken leg. She grabbed Annie's leg and placed it on the other chair, causing the small girl to whimper before looking at Eren.

Mikasa walked to the table, looking at her brother as he looked slightly grey. He was losing blood pretty fast. She looked to Jean, "Hand me the fire iron!"

Jean nodded and pulled the piece of iron out of the fire, the tip glowing with heat. He handed it to Mikasa and pulled up Eren's blood-soaked shirt, revealing his wound.

She held it in both hands, looking at her dying brother. Quickly, she raised the hot iron above her head, closing her eyes. _I'm sorry, Eren_, she thought before opening her eyes and thrusting the hot piece of metal into his wound.

Eren's eyes snapped open and he began to shriek as spikes of pain shot through his body, smoke rising from his stab wound as the fire iron cauterized his wound. Jean pushed his chest and legs down so that he doesn't move, feeling the young man squirm underneath his touch. Eren closed his eyes as he shouted, "Fuck!"

Annie's eyes widened, "Eren!" She couldn't take hearing his cries of pain, but she knew if she interfered, it could risk his life. So she sat there in torture, watching her lover as tears of pain ran down his face.

He turned his head to the side so he couldn't see it, his eyes resting on Annie. Her beautiful sapphires eyes seemed to have numbed his pain, as he calm down. But he breathed sharply and winced as the iron staunch his wound.

Soon afterwards, Mikasa pulled the fire iron out, handing it to Jean. She looked at Eren's face, seeing that his head was flat on the table, his eyes closed.

Mikasa's eyes widened as she leaned down to place her ear on his chest. _Lub dub...lub dub...lub dub…_ was what she heard. _He's still alive_, she thought to herself as she listened to his heart beat, tears sliding down from her eyes, as she knew a miracle just occurred. She lifted her head and looked at Annie, nodding as a faint smile grew on her face, "He will make it…"

Annie smiled and nodded as tears fell down her cheeks, "Thank...thank god…"

_**Six Years Later**_

Eren dropped his shirt, looking at Mikasa, "Hey...I am still alive because of you. I wouldn't have been able to see my nephew grow up, or marry Annie, or have a child if it wasn't for you."

Mikasa nodded, smiling, "Well, lets go check on little Karla."

Eren smiled and nodded, gesturing for them to follow. He turned and walked up the steps to the second floor, his sister and nephew close behind. Eren walked over to one of the rooms and opened it for his sister, allowing her and Grisha to go in first.

In the room a little girl was lying in the bed, at least four years of age. Her dirty blonde hair was obviously a mixture of the mother's and father's hair. Her nose was the father's, her lips are her mother's, and her eyes were a beautiful mixture of blue and green. She gave a little cough as Mikasa crouched down in front of her, placing the back of her hand on the girl's forehead, "Look at you, Karla, you've grown since I've last seen you."

Karla smiled, giving another cough, "Papa says I might be taller than mama one day."

Mikasa smiled, "That is...not impossible."

Eren looked at his daughter, worried, "How is she?"

"Eren, it's a cold. You know how these things are. How did she get it?"

"Guess."

"River?"

"Yeah. She decided to jump in when I told her not to."

A cough came from the girl, "I'm sorry, papa."

"It's fine, sweetheart. Just let Aunt Mikasa take care of you."

Mikasa cocked an eyebrow at Eren, "You mean, I will teach you how to take care of her?"

"Well. I do know how to take care of her. I just...wanted you to see her again, and I wanted to see Grisha."

Mikasa smiled at her brother, pulling the herbs out of her satchel and putting them on a bed stand, "Well...I guess I can stay for a few more hours."

Eren smiled, "Thank you, Mikasa."

_**Six Years Earlier, One Week After Levi's Death**_

The tiny blonde sat on her white horse, wearing her favorite white dress that the sun shined on beautifully, riding through the town of Shiganshima, her tall brunette guard sitting on a brown horse riding alongside her.

The townspeople looked up and saw the girl, "It's Lady Historia!"

They all kneeled down in the presence of the new Lady of Maria. She smiled at all of them, "Please, all of you, stand up. Don't kneel for me. I am a Lady of the people, and I don't want you to treat me like royalty, as I will not treat you like peasants. We are all equals."

The townspeople smiled at her little speech as she rode past them.

Her guard smirked, "That was a beautiful speech there, Historia. Like a true lady."

Historia smiled at her guard, "Thank you, Ymir." She said, leaning over to try and kiss the taller girl. Ymir leaned her head down, and Historia gave her the kiss. She pulled back, "You are the best guard a lady could hope for."

Ymir laughed as they followed a path out of town. She looked to the side, her eyes seeing nothing but burnt tall trees and ash. Her face grew sullen.

Historia saw her partner's change of expression and followed her gaze, her light blue eyes seeing the scene, "I didn't think Captain Levi would go this far."

Ymir growled at the name, "_Ex_-Captain Levi. I am quite glad he is dead. I never liked him."

Historia lightly touched Ymir's arm, "Don't speak ill of the dead, Ymir. He was a respectable man, who cared for this kingdom, but his loyalty was too strong for one body. It exploded out of him, turning him mad."

Ymir looked at Historia, nodding, "Of course. My apologies."

Historia nodded, "Don't fret over it, Ymir. The path the captain was going down couldn't have been avoided, sadly."

The lady and her guard saw their destination in the distance. The Jaeger house. Historia gave a faint smile at seeing the house, as a lot of her childhood was spent playing around that land.

Historia pulled the reins on her horse in front of the house, her guard doing the same. Ymir got off her horse and walked over to Historia's, holding her hand up. The lady smiled and took her hand, being helped down. When she landed, she reached up to grab Ymir's head and pull her into another kiss before pulling back, "Thank you, Ymir."

Ymir nodded and led her lady to the front door, "Would you like for me to come in with you?"

Historia stood in front of the steps, looking at Ymir and shaking her head, "No, thank you. Just keep this place guarded."

Ymir nodded as Historia walked up the steps. The taller girl stood by the stairs, her hand resting on the pommel of her longsword.

Historia stopped in front of the door and gently rapped her small, delicate knuckles on it. She waited a few moments before the door opened wide, a taller Eurasian woman looking down at the young Lady of Maria.

Her eyes widened slightly, "Oh...uh...Lady Historia...I wasn't-"

Historia held up a hand, "Mikasa, stop. Remember, friends don't call me Lady...except for my guard, but that's required of her."

Mikasa's eyebrows raised in surprise, "Oh...of course, Historia...sorry…"

"Don't apologize. Everyone does it. It feels...weird...being treated like royalty now. Being the Lord's daughter was royalty, but this...is a new level."

Mikasa smiled and nodded, "Yeah...would you like to come in?"

The small woman nodded, "Yes, I would."

Mikasa stepped out of the way to allow the lady into the house.

Historia looked around. She saw Jean at the fireplace, cooking what looked to be some soup. He looked over and smiled, stepping away from the pot, "Ahh, Historia...it's been a while…"

The lady smiled and nodded to him, "It has, Jean. So...where is Grisha?"

Mikasa closed the door to the house, looking at the small girl, "He came by to check on Eren, but had to leave again. I am guessing you are here...because of Eren?"

Historia turned to Mikasa, nodding, "Is he well?"

Mikasa nodded, "He is doing better, still in pain, but that is expected."

"No signs of infection?"

"None, surprisingly. It's a miracle to me. Levi missed all of his major organs and arteries."

Historia smiled, "That's good to hear. May...may I see him?"

Mikasa nodded and gestured to the stairs, "He is up there. He and Annie and a couple of her friends are up there in his room. Weird girls…"

Historia gave a small chuckle before nodding and walking up the stairs, hearing some voices from one of the rooms. She saw that Eren's door was already slightly open. As she got closer, the voices got louder.

"...ina, please...stop talking about Marlo and I! It is not...happening…" One girl's voice growled.

"But you hesitated, you little minx! I still don't believe you!" Another voice replied in a matter-of-fact sort of way.

"You two...please...shut the fuck up about that stuff…" An annoyed girl's voice said.

"Then what would we talk about?" The second girl asked.

As Historia reached the door to Eren's room, she put her hand on it and pushed it open.

Eren's room was filled with sunlight pouring through the windows. She could see Eren on a bed, smirking at the three girls in the room. One was sitting on a chair next to Eren's bed, she had black hair in loose ponytails, and another with light brown hair sitting next to a blonde girl slightly taller than Historia, laying in bed across the room with her leg supported at the ankle by a leather strap tied to a rope tied to a support beam in the ceiling.

The blonde shrugged, "I don't know...maybe something less...stupid?"

The black haired one narrowed her eyes, "Excuse me...love is not stupid…"

The blonde rolled her eyes, "I wasn't saying that...I was just saying that trying to force a relationship onto Hitch is kind of…" The blonde trailed off as her eyes spotted Historia, "...Kind of...bad…"

The whole room turned their heads to where the blonde was looking. Eren's eyes widened, his eyes looked tired and slightly pained, "Oh...uhm...hi...Lady Historia…"

The young lady smiled, "Remember what I said, Eren...don't call me that…"

Eren nodded, "Oh, right...sorry," He looked around the room, "Uhm...well, Historia. Uh...this is Mina Carolina," He said, pointing to the black haired girl, who waved, "Hi."

Eren pointed to the light brown haired one, "That is Hitch Dreyse." She also waved, but didn't say anything.

The young man smiled as he pointed to the blonde, "And...saving the best for last...Annie Leonhardt." The blonde gave a faint smile and waved, "Hello...Historia…Eren has told me about you."

Historia cocked an eyebrow at Eren, "Good things?"

The boy laughed and nodded, "Of course...good things…"

Historia smiled and nodded to Annie, "Eren has told me a bit about you too...anyway...Eren, we need to talk." She said.

Eren closed his mouth and nodded, "Alone?"

Historia nodded, "But Annie can stay...it concerns her too…"

Annie gestured to the traction device, "Well it's not like I can leave…"

Historia smiled at the joke. Mina and Hitch looked at each other before nodding and standing up. Mina looked at Eren and Annie, "See you two lovebirds later." She said before the two walked out of the room.

Historia walked past them into the room, the door closing behind her. She looked at Eren, then at Annie, before sitting down in a chair. She looked at Eren, "Eren...I want you to know that I tried...everything...in my power to get you out of jail. Levi didn't know you like I did. I knew you were only talking to Annie under the circumstances of love. I understood then, you can't just be kept away from the one you love."

Eren nodded, "I just feel lucky being able to get out of there...if I hadn't...Annie wouldn't be here, and I would be on a wheel with my limbs broken. How is Armin, anyway...and Nanaba?"

Historia turned her head to look out the window, "Armin is now my chamberlain, he passed the test with flying colors, and Nanaba is...she got proposed to...and it was a huge surprise who the man was…"

Eren cocked an eyebrow, "Who?"

"Mike...Mike Zacharius...turns out they have been in a relationship for a while without the cap..._ex-_captain...knowing. Also...Mike is the new captain…"

Eren's eyebrows raised, "Wow...so...how are he and Commander Smith taking all this? Oh, and Hange?"

Historia sighed, "Hange is grieving for her lover, yes, but she isn't angry at you for killing him, she is angry at the war. And as for Mike and Erwin...well...they both seemed to notice that Levi changed for the worst at some point during the war...and I was able to get them to pardon you...as you were attacked by him in the forest...and since almost no one knew of your imprisonment...they are even offering you a chance to be a knight again."

Eren's eyes widened, "What?"

Annie's eyebrows raised, "Eren...you can be a knight again…"

Eren nodded, and looked at Historia, "...Tell them...tell them I must decline…"

Historia frowned, surprised, "Why, Eren?"

Eren shrugged, "When I was a kid, the thing I always wanted to be was a knight. The stories told to me about these majestic adventures really boosted my interest. But when I became one...I was proud to serve my kingdom, but...it's not something I would want to do my whole life. I saw many people die, some I even knew from town. I had to put my own friend out of his misery. War...was not meant for me, and...I think I have done enough fighting. Besides," He said, lifting his shirt to show the cauterized wound, wincing, "Agh, I can't fight with a wound like this." He put his shirt back down, "I also want to spend more time...with Annie…" He said, reaching out to Annie, who reached over and grabbed his hand, squeezing his fingers, before they let go.

Historia looked at the two, "Well, they will respect your decision, as I do. Now...what else?"

Annie spoke up, "What about Sina? Stohess? The Warriors?"

Historia turned to Annie, "Oh, yes. Their commander...Dok...I believe his name was...was taken prisoner during the Siege of Castle Maria. After everything was said and done, and my father was crowned, we gave him back to Lord Balto, who is a very...disgusting man…. Anyway, my father will do whatever he can to help Sina recover. There are some plans in the making...to make the Warriors a group that is not Sina exclusive. We want to make them...the authority, the police force basically, for all three kingdoms, as we think their abilities have not really been used to the fullest. Those same plans are actually going to try and unify all three kingdoms. Not into one kingdom, but just a way to make sure wars between us never happen again. Just in case an outside force wants to attack us, all three of the kingdoms will fight together."

Annie and Eren looked at each other, "So that what happened to us never happens to anyone else…" Annie said, "I think...I think my father would've wanted that…"

Eren smiled, "And you can be a Warrior again…"

Annie shook her head, "No...I don't want to be a Warrior, it means I will have to be away a lot. But...I am very willing to train any new recruits. As long as they come to me."

Historia nodded, "I can try to talk to my father to see if you can do that, and I think he will say yes, since the Warriors don't have many people left, and you are the daughter of the late-Sinan Captain...so you would be perfect."

Annie gave a faint smile, "Good…"

Historia smiled before standing up, "And one more thing. I owe you two a royal wedding."

Eren smiled, Annie looked at Eren, "She does?"

Eren looked at Annie, "She promised to give us one if we survived the war."

Annie nodded, looking at her leg, "Well...I guess I am fine with that...but it will take a while for my leg to heal."

Historia nodded, "Don't worry, take your time. We will wait." She said, smiling as she looked out the window, seeing the town, "Anyway, I should get going. You two get well, I want this wedding to happen."

Eren nodded, "You got it, Historia."

Annie nodded, "Thank you."

And with that, Historia turned around and walked to the door. She opened it, only to have Mina and Hitch fall through, slamming on the ground. They both groaned, Mina lifting her head up, "We were not eavesdropping...we promise…"

_**Six Years Later**_

With Karla fast asleep, Mikasa smiled down at her niece before quietly walking out of the room. Descending the steps, she saw her brother already turning the horehounds into tea, with Grisha sitting and watching, smiling. Eren turned away from the fireplace to see Mikasa, "I remember taking this when I was younger. Tasted horrible."

Mikasa gave a short laugh, "Well, you shouldn't have fallen into that river."

Eren pointed a finger at her, "Pushed...I was pushed."

She laughed again, "Alright, alright."

Eren looked at the pot before looking at Mikasa again, "How is she?"

Mikasa pulled out a chair and sat on it, putting her satchel on the table, "Peacefully asleep."

Eren nodded, "Good…so...how are you and Jean?"

"We are good, he is just busy training knights. He wished he could come."

"That's good. I heard the Midsummer Festival came. How was that?"

"Good, it was Grisha's first time going. He loved it."

Grisha smiled, "I loved the stories."

Eren laughed, "Yeah, I liked those too."

Just then, the door opened, and a short young blonde woman walked in, wearing a white pullover with brown trousers and leather shoes, a bow was slung across her body. She had a pack slung over her shoulder. Her head turned up as she stepped past the threshold, her eyes spotting her sister-in-law and her nephew, "Oh...you are here already?"

Mikasa smiled at seeing her sister-in-law, "Yeah, Sasha is fast with those deliveries."

Grisha hopped down from his chair, running over to hug his aunt, "Auntie Ann!"

Annie smiled and dropped the bag to crouch down to hug her nephew, "Hey, Grisha. Wow, you've grown, haven't you?"

Grisha pulled back and nodded before running back to the chair and climbing into it.

Annie unslung her bow and hung it up next to another bow by the door. She reached down and picked up the bag, walking over to the table and placing it there, "So, they only had apples this time. I can try searching around tomorrow, seeing if I can find some berries to pick?"

Eren turned to his wife, "Uh, no need. I think I can do that. Besides you have to train some new guys tomorrow, right?"

Annie glanced up in thought, "Oh, right. Almost forgot."

Eren smiled, "So how is Mina?"

Annie's eyes widened, "Oh, she finally got proposed to."

Eren's eyebrows raised, "Really? Who is the, uh...the lucky man?"

Annie supported herself on the table with her hands, leaning forward, "Uh...I think it name was...Marco Butt or something-Bott, his name was Marco Bott. I met him, he seemed good for her. So yeah, we got a wedding to go to...next month."

"For all we know, it's going to be more of a festival than a wedding."

"I know right?"

Mikasa remembered someone, "How is that...that Hitch girl?"

Annie looked at Mikasa, "Uhm...she got married to, uh...to Marlo a year ago. I guess Mina was right."

"She is always somehow right." Eren said.

"Anyway, how is Karla?" Annie asked Mikasa.

Mikasa nodded, "She is doing fine. She will recover, all children do. Just give her the right herbs to keep her comfortable."

"Can I...can I see her?"

"Yes, just be quiet, she is sleeping."

Annie smiled and nodded, turning around to walk up the stairs.

The door to Karla's room opened slowly as Annie leaned against the doorway, smiling at her little daughter. Annie was glad that Karla didn't get her nose. She looked much better with Eren's nose.

"It's almost hard to believe we created something so beautiful, huh?" Eren came up behind his wife. She looked over her shoulder at him before smiling and turning to him, grabbing his hands to interlock their fingers. He leaned down to kiss her, and she accepted.

She pulled back, looking over shoulder, "Yeah...yeah it is…"

_**Six Years Earlier, Eight Weeks After Levi's Death**_

It was a beautiful day for the couple to walk. Annie's leg has finally healed, so she, along with Eren, decided to check out the forest.

The couple stood at the edge of the forest, seeing the depressing sight of what looks like a wasteland. They looked at each other before stepping into the forest, passing by blackened dead trees and ash. Annie still had somewhat of a limp, but Eren was there to help. Their feet crushed the dirt beneath them, when they were used to the sound of crushed grass. The only smell that filled the air was that of ash, instead of nature.

Eventually they reached a place that they used to love going to. Holding each other's hands, they walked closer to the corpse of the big tree from their practice area. Eren helped Annie sit down by the roots, grunting as he sat down, holding his wound. The wind blew through their hair as they looked around themselves. From here they could see Eren's house, and the cliff. They sat there for a few moments, taking it all in.

Annie looked off to the left, her eyes spotting something, "Eren, do you see something...green over there?"

Eren turned his head to Annie, who pointed in the direction. His eyes looked ahead to see what looked like fully grown trees.

Eren stood up, wincing and holding his hand out to help Annie up. She took it, grunting as she got onto her feet. They walked as quickly as they could without Annie hurting herself. As they got closer, they realized that half of the forest did not succumb to the fire. They feet finally felt the green grass beneath them.

The couple looked at each other and smiled, walking past fully grown brown trees. They marveled at the beauty which they had thought they lost. They saw a rabbit hop by, and a family of deer. Birds made their orchestra of noises, adding to the natural feel.

Soon enough they walked into a clearing, their eyes looking at the shin length grass and the patches of flowers scattered about. They could even hear a river nearby. There was no big tree though.

Annie looked up at her lover, "Eren...lets sit in the center."

Eren looked down at her, then at the center, before nodding, "Alright."

They sat in the center, back to back, watching the nature around them as the grass came up to their elbows. Eren heard Annie sigh happily, "I love this place...Eren?…"

Eren turned his head a bit to the side to see her, "Yeah?"

Annie looked at the birds in the trees, smiling, "I think we should have our wedding here, not in the castle, I hope Historia won't mind...and...maybe we could live here."

Eren turned his head forward to looked at the almost endless amount of trees, "I think...I think you're right."

_**One Month Later**_

"Annie, you look amazing! Eren will faint at the sight of you."

"I sure hope not, Mina. I kinda need him conscious to marry him."

"Says who?"

"Shutup."

Mina gave her a sad puppy look, but was back to normal instantly like a dog. Annie sat on the second floor of Eren's house, in front of a mirror in Mikasa's room as Mina did her hair. Mina looked out the door, "Hitch, where are those shoes!?"

Hitch's voice could be heard downstairs, "I am getting them! Hold on!"

Mina sighed and shook her head, putting Annie's hair in a less messy bun.

"Mina, why can't I have my regular bun?"

"Because it's not fit for a bride."

"I am..._not_ a normal bride."

"How so?"

"I have the knowledge to kill."

"Well...yeah…"

Annie sighed and looked at herself in the mirror, she was wearing a blue dress with the golden embroidery of what seemed to be lions. A blue ribbon was wrapped around her wrist.

"Why do I wear blue again?"

"Ugh, Annie, because it symbolizes purity. God, why do you have to forget so much?"

"Why do you have to talk so much?"

"...I will pretend I did not hear that…"

Suddenly, Hitch ran through the door, "I got the sho-WOAH!" She exclaimed as she tripped on her own feet, sending her to the ground. Her arms were outstretched, her hands holding the shoes.

Mina looked at Hitch, "Good job." She said, walking over and grabbing them from her hands. She walked over to Annie, "Need help putting these on?"

Annie took the shoes, "No, Mina, I don't."

"Good...shit, I gotta find the veil." Mina cursed before running out of the room.

As Annie was getting her high heel shoes on, Hitch was getting up, turning around to look at Annie, she smiled, "You look great, Ann."

"Thanks, Hitch."

Just as Annie got her shoes on, she looked up in the mirror just as Mina walked in and put the blue veil on Annie's head, "There! Awww, a true blushing bride!"

Annie stared at herself in the mirror. All of the sudden, something hit her hard as she began to cry.

Mina looked at Annie in the mirror, "Ann...what's wrong?"

Annie recovered from her emotional burst, shaking her head, "Nothing...nothing. Just...everything that has happened...leading up to this...I guess it just...rushed into me. All those emotions and feelings...it was too much. But I am okay now…"

Mina smiled and helped Annie to her feet. Annie's limp has gotten better, but she still has a slight dip every time she takes a step. So her two friends hooked their arms around hers to lead her.

As they got outside, Annie realized that she can not walk in high heels right now. After a few unsuccessful steps, she just about had it.

"Fuck these...shoes." She cursed, kicking them off, "I would rather go barefoot." She said, limping towards the direction of the wedding. Off in the distance, lights could be seen.

Eren stood at the altar they had set up, with Armin being their priest. The groom looked down at himself, he was wearing the same clothing he wore on the night of the festival a while ago. Red doublet, golden embroidery, lining, and buttons. Collar closed and high. Black trousers with brown leather dress boots. A dagger was strapped to his side for appearance. His hair was cut. The only difference was that he had a blue ribbon around his wrist. _I don't know, some shit about purity_, he thought to himself.

He looked at the scene around him. Lanterns were hung up on ropes tied to the trees, all of their family and friends were between the surrounding trees, right now talking to each other as they waited for the bride. A red carpet was laid from the altar to the entrance of the clearing.

Eren looked up at the night sky, feeling nervous. His heart felt like it was about to burst from his chest. And all this anxiety was making his wound hurt. He wasn't sure he would make it through the night.

Then, everyone fell silent as they saw the bride approaching, slightly limping as she stepped onto the carpet, Mina acting as a stand-in for her father. Eren eyes were fixated on the floor, but slowly he raised them up to see the love of his life, dressed up all beautiful, looking like the angel he knew for the past year as she slowly walked towards him.

Soon enough, she was standing right in front of him, Mina's arm hooked through hers, as Armin began, "Eren, wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife, wilt the love her, and honor her, keep her and guard her, in health and in sickness, as a husband should a wife, and forsaking all others on account of her, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?"

Eren looked at Armin, smiling, he nodded, "I will…"

Armin then turned to Annie in front of him, "Annie, wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband, wilt the love him, and honor him, keep him and guard him, in health and in sickness, as a wife should a husband, and forsaking all others on account of him, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?"

Annie began to feel the joyful tears run down her cheeks, "I...I will…"

Mina let go of Annie, giving her to Eren, as would a father. Annie then stood in front of Eren, smiling at him as he did her.

Armin nodded, "You may begin your vows."

Eren nodded and took Annie's hands in his, staring into her eyes, "I, Eren Jaeger, take thee, Annie Leonhardt, to my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health, till death do us part, if the kingdom of Maria will ordain it: And thereto I plight thee my troth."

Annie wiped a tear away, smiling, "And I, Annie Leonhardt take thee, Eren Jaeger to my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health, till death do us part, if the kingdom of Maria will ordain it: And thereto I plight thee my troth."

Armin smiled, "You may now exchange rings."

Annie smiled as she had a gold band in her hand, as did Eren. She took his hand and placed it on his fourth finger. Eren smiled as he took her hand, and slid the ring into her fourth finger.

Armin nodded to them both, "You may now kiss the bride."

Eren looked at Annie, reaching up to pull her veil over her head. He then cupped her cheeks and pulled her into a very passionate kiss, their emotions once again exploding out as, finally, they were man and wife.

_**Six Years Later**_

"We should plan get togethers, I miss talking to you guys, as does Grisha and Jean."

Eren smiled at his sister, hugging her, "We will, soon. I promise." He said before crouching down to hug his nephew, "I will see you soon, little man." He said, standing up to allow his wife to hug him.

Mikasa smiled as she took Grisha's hand, "We should get back before nightfall. Jean should be home." She said, stopping at the threshold of the door, she looked back at Eren and Annie, "Hopefully, the next time I see you, Karla will be in a healthy condition."

Annie nodded, "Hopefully."

Mikasa nodded to both of them before closing the door. The sun was kissing the horizon. She looked at it for a moment before walking in the direction of her house, her child's hand in her's.

The sun was almost gone as they finally reached home. Mikasa and Grisha passed by the tombstone again, this time Mikasa looked at it. She gestured for Grisha to go inside, "Go to your father. I want to talk to some people."

Grisha smiled and nodded, running inside, "Okay!"

Mikasa smiled at her little rascal before turning to the tombstones. Walking to the backyard, she got closer and closer to the pieces of rock. Once she got up close, she noticed that one was older than the other, but she already knew that. She crouched down in front of them, the last rays of the sun illuminating the names.

Mikasa smiled, "Father...mother…" She muttered, looking at the tombstones of Grisha and Karla Jaeger. The former one was recent. She sat back and nodded to them, "Your son is alright...your son is just fine…"

A/N: I hope this whole epilogue wasn't full of cop-outs. My apologies if it feels rushed. It is the longest chapter I have written (would the epilogue be a chapter? I don't know). Anyway, lets get some facts straight.

First of all, cauterization, not recommended nowadays. Back then it was all they had. If you were to do it today, make sure it's in a sterile environment, as it is prone to infection.

Second, they did have a pulley system back then, and the earliest knowledge of a traction device for a broken limb goes all the way back to Roman times.

Third, in medieval weddings, the bride did wear blue to symbolize purity, and both her and the groom wear a blue ribbon. Usually it happens in front of a church, but I like the forest scene better.

I hope you guys enjoyed this! I did, I am a lover of happy endings. And I hope all loose ends were tied. If not, well sorry, I forgot. Thank you for reading!


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